Public servants are in line to go home with more money in their pockets as a result of an increase in allowances.
However, Prime Minister Mia Mottley has maintained that it is still too early to decide whether Government workers will get a hike in base salary, stressing that such a decision could only come after discussions with trade unions.
And while she did not rule out the possibility of public servants getting a wage increase, she made it clear Government was not willing to compromise Barbados’ economy to do so.
“I’ve already committed the Government to reviewing allowances which have not been increased since 2009,” Mottley said at a meeting at Ilaro Court which was attended by International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials who were in the island for the seventh and final review of the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT).
“I am also, however, going to say to you that we are not going to do anything to literally compromise this island, the Government, or the population and, therefore, there has to be a judicious approach. The last time I checked, the judicious approach does not include making comments in public before negotiations commence.”
“Suffice to say, whatever we do will be the subject of a respectful set of discussions with the unions without prejudice to the fact that I have already signaled Government’s intention to want to see some level of adjustment to allowances that have not been adjusted since 2009, some 13 years ago,” the Prime Minister added.
Mottley’s comments came against the background of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) and the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) stating their intentions to engage Government in discussions related to salary increases for public servants.
Speaking at a panel discussion hosted by the Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC) on Wednesday, economist Jeremy Stephens said he did not believe Government was in a financial position to pay workers more.
While admitting that an increase was merited considering the high cost of living in Barbados, Stephens said it was not realistic as this time, especially with the economy now recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said in addition to the fact that the Government did not have the fiscal space for a salary increase, it was unlikely the Mottley administration would reduce taxes any further to give Barbadians an ease.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb
