And yesterday when we spoke to PSU president, Dean Flowers, via Zoom, he said that while they never agreed to the freezing of the increments in the first place, they had to accept it. Now they're preparing for negotiations, though Flowers specifically mentioned hopefully restoring THREE increment points, not two. He also mentioned that the restoration will be based on the economic performance during the upcoming fiscal years.
Jules Vasquez:
"So will you all now go into another round of negotiations for the restoration of the two years of missed increments."
Dean Flowers, President, PSU
"Yes that is exactly what the government conceded to and again thanks to the efforts and the determination of the negotiating team. We were able to say to the government that at no point in time did we concede to forgoing any increments. We never conceded to that, as a matter of fact we never even agreed to the freezing of increments but the government was able to do that through the passage of the law and so as law abiding citizens, we had no option but to obey the law as it was amended."
"The government saw the need for them to concede that the issue surrounding the restoration of increments, there has to be a conversation on it. Now, the government did not immediately concede that we'll restore your increments in the upcoming fiscal year or whenever it is that the financial position of the country to dictitate that so it's up to the unions to get their heads together to get public officers to understand that the only way for increments to be restored, those three lost increments to be restored, is if we're able to come up with the plan dictated by the performance of the government finances within a specific period of time within which we can see those increments restore. I am confident, we have brilliant people within the public service so I am confident that we will be able to put our minds together and come up with a plan dictated by the economics of course of the country that will see those three increments that have been lost restored eventually."
