And, of course, the Chief Magistrate is also president of the APSSM - which has served the government with notice of Industrial action.
To hear insiders tell it - the APSSM is also the group which first floated the idea of a government issued promissory note that can be given to teachers and public officers as an exchange for their pay cut, which comes into effect on May 15th.
It's an interesting idea, and one that has engaged the unions - but today, in a virtual press conference with the media, the minister of state in the Minister of Finance said he didn't know about that:
Christopher Coye, Minister of State, Ministry of Finance
"I wasn't in the meeting on Thursday, but my understanding is not what I have seen put out by certain union leaders. I don't know of any agreement that has been drafted between the government reps and the union reps last week. Cabinet is going to make a determination on what will be the next steps with respect to the unions. That has to be left for cabinet to determine."
Reporter
"But doesn't that include a promissory note. The unions are saying that on the table is a promissory note for compensation in 3 years. They want something if they are to give up any salary cut."
Christopher Coye, Minister of State, Ministry of Finance
"A promissory note is debt, domestic debt. If government issues a promissory note it is domestic debt, so to say that you want a promissory note is simply to be adding more domestic debt to what government already owes, so I think cabinet will make a decision as to how it will carry discussions with the unions going forward."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"But clearly you are not in favor of a promissory note, because it creates more debt and we are already overburdened with debt as it is."
Christopher Coye, Minister of State, Ministry of Finance
"The promissory note simply adds to domestic debt."
