The Association of Public Service Senior Managers is a member of the joint unions negotiating team which tried to convince the Briceno Government to not implement the 10% pay cut and increment freeze for teachers and public officers. Tonight, they are speaking up on the dispute.
In a press release, the union says, quote, "While the Association acknowledges that the deteriorated state of public finances and by and large the overall macroeconomy is a manifestation of decades of maladministration and corrupt practices by successive administrations, at no point, did the APSSM indicate in person or in writing that it was supportive of a reduction of public officers' salaries. The APSSM remains firm in its position and asserts that it would not have overstepped its membership to speak for all public officers. The APSSM did… indicate that if the Government insisted on adjusting public officers' and teachers' salaries that consideration should be given to exempting those officers and teachers earning less than or equal $12,000. Furthermore, the APSSM was also agreeable to prolonging the 25% reduction in entertainment allowance provided to Heads of Department and Senior Managers as administered since May 1st of 2020. In reference to the increment freeze, the APSSM did not agree to relinquish two years of increments. The agreement was for an additional year." End quote.
The APSSM adds further that its membership is not prepared to accept the pay cut, unless the government addresses their concerns about a lack of commitment to implement good governance initiatives, including the passage of laws, and the recommendations from the cost savings and revenue enhancement reports.
