We also asked Flowers about the rumored hundred dollar Christmas bonus for public service officers. The rampant rumors online say that G.O.B. has no more than $100 in store for their public officers Christmas incentive.
Still, it's just a rumour. That is until late this evening when we spoke via Zoom with PSU president Dean Flowers.
He told us that when it comes to Christmas bonuses for public officers, be they symbolic or monetary he hasn't heard a peep out of G.O.B.:
Jules Vasquez
"Dean if I could ask on another matter we have heard so much said about this rumor about a $100.00 bonus that supposedly the government is contemplating for public officers and teachers at this end of year, have you heard anything about it and is there any confirmation to your office?"
Dean Flowers - President, Public Service Union
"I can say with all honesty that the government has not communicated with the public service union on any bonus, whether it's a ham, whether it's a turkey, whether it's 100 dollars, whether it's 64 dollars, there has been absolutely no communication. You see out there on social media and other new outlets are one rumors and two are mischief for the most part because until such time that the government informs us that they are issuing a bonus to public officers I wouldn't be able to say that anything is forth coming to public officers. I can only comment on the fact in my conversation with the senator of NTUCB there was in fact a note in the senate paper that said there was an allocation for recognition to public officers, what is that recognition I don't know, if it's a plaque, I don't know if its 100, 300 dollars, I don't know if it's 64 dollars. I don't know if it's a turkey, half turkey, a ham or half a ham as I see on social media, so I'm unable to neither confirm or deny that anything is coming to public officers for this Christmas."
Flowers says that if government were to deposit a $100 bonus into his account he'd donate it to the Salvation Army's red kettle drive.
So, where did the rumour even start?
Well, it seems it started on December 3rd when the prime minister went to the House of Representatives with a supplementary appropriation bill. In there, he listed 1.5 million dollars as "recognition" for teachers and public officers but has not expanded on what that entails.
