And to protect himself from further censure, the PM was very cautious in his interview today.
But beyond those statements that many have taken as insulting is the central issue of this proposed wage cut.
In their press release, the PSU rejected GOB's proposal of 10% salary cuts and increment freezes for three years. As Dean Flowers explained, the members did not agree with the proposal and now they are tasked with making their own recommendations, which will be presented on Monday. But in those recommendations, they will be noting other ways the government can reduce expenditure in the proper management of funds among other things. They are hoping the government heeds these recommendations instead of solely targeting the salaries of the public officers, as Flowers believes is happening.
Dean Flowers - First VP, PSU
"We have been receiving responses from membership and I must say that the response perhaps 98% of the responses that they are not in agreement with the proposal as it relates to the increment freezes and the wage cut. Now we must understand that the government proposal goes also beyond the salary cuts and the increment freeze, it's a recovery plan and there are some good things in the plan but the part of what was submitted to the union as it relates to salaries and increments is what is being rejected in and of itself. We are to make not necessarily a counter proposal to government but rather submit our own set of proposals in terms of how we can aid in the recovery plan and you rightly said that will include a request for the strengthening of institutions for the strengthening of systems and processes which needs to be put in place in order for us to start moving towards any form of recovery. It cannot be that we will continue in a state of business as usual without putting in place necessary checks and balances to hold public officers and to hold government officials accountable and to ensure that once we're able to agree on a way forward, that whatever plan is being rolled out that the proper mechanism and systems will be in place to ensure that we achieve our ultimate goal which is recovery. What they are concerned about and what they are appeared to be fixated on is salary cuts and that in of itself cannot help the economic crisis that this country is in. This country needs a serious recovery plan that also includes closing the loopholes and the gaps where revenue collection is concerned and I want to make clear we're not proposing the implementation of any new taxes, all that we're asking for is for better compliance and for better monitoring and accountability mechanisms be put in place so that we know we can then be reassured that everybody is putting in their fair share and carrying their fair share of the weight but as we speak the only sector that is being asked to do everything is the public sector and we're saying that is unfair, that is certainly not equitable that is one sided."
