Meanwhile, the PSU had its annual General Meeting between May 28 & 29th - where Dean Flowers was installed as president unopposed.
Via Zoom he told us today the PSU will continue its strike.
Dean Flowers, President, PSU
"The trade dispute remains very much alive and that branch chairs based on the request from their branch membership are free to engage in any legal form of industrial actions that they see fit. So where our trade dispute with the government is concerned we continue with our work rule, we continue with our go slow and where membership makes the call we continue with strike action, so nothing has change where that mandate is concerned and nothing has change where the existence of a trade dispute remains very much alive and until such time that it is resolved peacefully or amicably, so strike is not off the table for us. We have not called off the strike as yet and for the most part what we see the majority of our members engaged in is other forms of industrial actions which of course is as I stated earlier refusing to work any over time, as we are at an impasse and I can tell you where national strike action is concerned we don't have a coordinated effort on the table at this point in time and so that remains, if I can use the word somewhat, its independent within the different branches across the country."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Persons salaries have started to be docked, so even the most committed and stouthearted strikers will say I can't afford to get a 10% cut and then a 90% cut on the rest. How much has that thwarted or sap the spirit of the union?"
Dean Flowers, President, PSU
"Being cognizant of exactly what you are saying that in fact this could cost adverse financial constraints or reaction on our members. We have said to our members based on your mandate we will continue with our trade dispute and we will keep it alive with the government until such time it is settle. Where strike action is concerned we will not move to mass mobilize membership at this point in time. The national executive this week will be looking at what has occurred over the last 3 months in terms of where we could have improved and where we will improve to ensure that when we mass mobilize which I am confident may not be in the very distant future if it is that the government does not put something palatable on the table for public officers."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"You won't mass mobilize, you won't have any crippling effect on the government, you hadn't have crippling effect on the government, the strike has fizzled and at this point its best to call it off, because it is inconsequential. The government continues to operate as per normal."
Dean Flowers, President, PSU
"Without getting into too much details, I will resort to Bob Marley's song: he who fights and run away, lives to fight another day. When you've engaged in a war, because in essence that's how it is being classified 'a war' with the government, but because we are in a war it can be said that we lost the first battle, or that we are losing the first battle, but the war is far from over."
The meeting was held under the theme "Only the People Can Save the People". Flowers is now joined by first vice president, Annisa Gonzalez.
