And while the PUP claim the former Minister of Lands was writing off land taxes, they're planning on giving land to the unions.
But it's not exactly so clear cut.
Yesterday we told you that Cabinet agreed to grant land credit to the public officers affected by the salary cuts equivalent to 50% of the cut.
But the agreement was made among themselves, with no consultation or negotiation with the unions. In fact, they said they learnt about it the same time we did - through a press release from the government.
Well, they're not having it and rejected that offer. And according to BNTU president, "fool dih talk but fool noh dih listen."
Elena Smith,President, BNTU
"Yesterday we saw a Cabinet brief where it has something in there about land and 50%, nothing has been told to us. So if it is that you are putting lies in the public to get sympathy, it's not going to work. Because we can put out our version as well, we have minutes for those meetings. So let us - we want to work things out, let us work from a position of being honest."
"We have had no chance to look at that, that just came out yesterday, they didn't even have the decency to put that to us in writing and say this is what we're proposing to you all. So they put that in a Cabinet brief and expect that our teachers will sit back and say, oh yeah they are giving 50% of land yay - which land? When we don't even know how many of us can get a piece of land. So I must give up my salary with the hope that someday down the road I might get a piece of land and then you are going to credit me for that land? That is nonsense man, fool dih talk but dah noh fool dih listen."
And the PSU stands in solidarity as the president, Gerald Henry, couldn't even fathom what he characterised as the audacity of the government in what he deems as their deceitfulness.
Gerald Henry, President, PSU
"We did not have a single discussion about 50% of land whatever they have in there. I don't even want to remember it. Again, they came from out of left field with that. The same way they came out of left field again with the 8, 10 and 12 percent. That was never discussed. There was a discussion on tier approach, but it not that one specifically. So again, that was just the minister by himself who came up with that. We cannot trust each other if it is you are going to move the goal post. You cannot trust each other if it is you are trying to spin my words like a spider keeps spinning his web, we cannot have a trust level like that."
Reporter
"Do you feel they are being disingenuous with their saying that they wanted to negotiate?"
Gerald Henry, President, PSU
"That's one of the biggest lies that have been told so far. There was no interest whatsoever on the part of the government."
The unions had put forth three compensation proposals - including some form of land compensation - but they never got a response. According to them, the PUP's budget consultation team had told them they were not there to entertain proposals or to have negotiations.
