by Linda Straker
- Industrial protest moves into fourth week
- Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union will join industrial action
- Church bodies have called for situation to be resolved
Public Officers in Grenada will continue into a fourth week of industrial protest next week and the trade union which represents a broad cross-section of essential services workers are expected to join in the action which will see them staying off the job for at least 3 days.
Since 5 November 2018 members of the Grenada Union of Teachers (GUT) and the Public Workers Union (PWU) have withheld their labour by staying off the job for at least 2 or 3 days per week. Last week government filed an injunction to stop essential services workers from participating in the industrial protest. Government later retracted the injunction as part of its efforts to encourage the unions to return to the bargaining table. The unions are demanding that government accepts the proposed 25% gratuity for retirees, while government said it can only offer 2%. Unions are saying that amount is provided for in the constitution and accepting anything less will be in violation of the constitution, but government is saying if it accepts the proposed figure, this would cripple the country financially.
“We remain committed to offering the best possible package to workers within the context of the Fiscal Responsibility Law, Mr Speaker, acceding to the unions’ demands of 25% advance will cripple the country financially,” said Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell when he presented the 2019 budget on Wednesday.
“It is simply not feasible given our current project revenue stream to meet these demands and furthermore to sustain them over the long term,” he said, reminding the House that the 2015 Fiscal Responsibility Legislation provides for government not to surpass 9% of GDP on the amount government can assign for salaries, wages and other expenditure per year. Public officers returned to work on Friday while representatives of the unions met with government to chart the way forward.
However, following a meeting on Friday morning with the Pension Engagement Committee, Lydon Lewis President of the GUT sent a letter to members of the union late Friday evening instructing them to stay off the job the first 3 working days of the week. They are also to attend a march and rally on Wednesday. “Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union will join the industrial action on Wednesday with the inclusion of some strategic workplaces,” said the letter which urged the workers to stand strong and continue the struggle towards pension and gratuity restoration. “This is a battle to be won and we must keep on eyes on the prize,” concluded the letter which was signed by Lewis.
In the past 48 hours, Father Clyde Harvey, head of the Catholic Community and Devon Rachae, President of the Evangelical Churches have called on both government and unions to go back to the bargaining table to resolve the issue. A number of students have also taken to streets marching with placards as they call on government to resolve the issue so that teachers can return to the classrooms.
Mr. Kenrick Paul are you a slave master?
Listen carefully, this message is dedicated to the GUT as a student [who will remain unnamed] personally in my opinion on behalf of all students of schools in Grenada THIS IS TRULY SELFISH.
All those who begging now its them who vote this dictator in power. Keith mitchell and his so call town boys sorragates thinks grenada belongs to them. Its coming its going to get worst before better. Nnp and ndc will b held accountable for d peoples …tax payers monies. The.prison will need an extension. This partisan politics must stop in grenada. The youth’s will prevail
It is clear that the union leadership is hell bent on making trouble for our country. Things are going too NICE. The Government of Grenada has already restored pension through the kindness of its heart. The unions are now taking industrial action to get a bigger “loan” on their pension from the government. Usually when you go to the bank for a loan you would NEGOTIATE the size of the loan along with the terms and conditions based on your credit ratings (i.e. fiscal space or ability to pay back). This is not an issue that warrant industrial action. NEGOTIATE. NEGOTIATE. NEGOTIATE.
Dr. Michell should take a hard line against these teachers. Dock their pay and bring in temporary teachers for the rest of the school year.
DO NOT TAKE THE KINDNESS OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR WEAKNESS.
RearGuard.
Long Island, NY.
The government must give the people they belonging you don’t have to go begging for your own thing, this government sick