And like the deal regarding the increment freeze, the promissory notes were also taken off the table. As we told you before, the consultation team had offered it to the unions - and Smith explained that the government negotiating team had the Prime Minister's blessing on the proposal. But Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Chris Coye, later told the media that he had no idea where that came from. He was opposed to it because it would simply add to the domestic debt.
Today, the BNTU explained that the offer had been rescinded before they could even agree to it.
Elena Smith, National President, B.N.T.U.
"There was a promissory note that we had discussed and at that meeting we left from there with the agreement that we would come back to our members get feedback from them, get position from them and then go back to the table and that decision would have been made on that Thursday. However, as you are all aware before we even got a chance to get to that table again to share with the government side our members position on that offer, we got a new offer of compensation, one that we had no opportunity to take to our members to share with them to even digest ourselves as leaders to be able to explain to our members what that offer would look like and so again, having said to us that yes as we had said during the meeting there was a call made and after that call was made and they came back to us we were told that yes it seems favorable, the big boss said that its okay and so we would now go back to our members and take a poll of their position. As we said before when we went back to the table, that position changed and we were told no, there is no way that we can offer that, we have to give you something else."
