Tonight, the PSU is circulating an online poll to its members - asking them how to proceed as the union makes a demand that government immediately restore their frozen increments.
This comes after it was revealed last well that Ministerial Chief Executive Officers had their full living and entertainment allowance restored to $1,500 dollars in September - which is the pre-COVID figure.
And now 7News has obtained documents which show that those CEO's closest to the Prime Minister also received additional allowed for their extra duties.
In June of 2021, Narda Garcia - who is the CEO in the Prime Minister's office - was awarded an extra two thousand dollars a month to also act as CEO in the Ministry of Investment. Today the Prime Minister told us via phone that this was justified because it is a significant added responsibility.
And, Amalia Mai, who is the CEO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also got a special added allowance in that same June of 2021, as Ambassador to SICA. On this one, the Prime Minister told us that Ambassadors to CARICOM and SICA customarily get a salary for that post - and this case was no different. He stressed that both women work, quote, "very hard."
And while those could be explained, the Prime Minister confessed to being at a total loss when it comes to the one thousand dollar monthly salary introduced for the Vice President of the Senate - Collet Montejo. As of February first 2022, the PUP Senator is also getting a grand a month for a mostly titular job where the main responsibility is to keep the chair warm when the president has to take a tinkle.
As for the Prime Minister's bodyguard, Sergeant David Cal - as of October 14th, he also gets an allowance of $1,500 monthly as a special allowance. The Commissioner of police told us - and proved - that is exactly the allowance the former Prime Minister Dean Barrow's bodyguards got in lieu of overtime and subsistence.
