But, the joint unions say, it's not so much what Coye said in that last letter, it's also how he said it. They felt that tying pension reform into the negotiations at this stage was an act of bad faith.
Here's how he responded:
Christopher Coye, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance
"I'm not sure about the tone. What I would say is we've had one meeting, between the cabinet subcommittee for their union consultation and the joint unions negotiating team, and that meeting was very cordial. We had high expectations coming out of that meeting. It is unfortunate that we did not, that meeting did not yield an agreement, but there was every effort made in that meeting to reach something that was reasonable, satisfactory and affordable."
REPORTER-
"What about the argument that they have made though that pension discussion started where before the request of a salary increase, for the fact that it's being tied now to the salary increase being made contingent to that they were opposed to that."
Christopher Coye
"I'm not sure about the logic on that one, because if that's the case, then maybe the pension should have been introduced first."
"But that's why there is an interest in getting the pension reform done."
"I think what the letter speaks to is a process. Simple. Similar like what is proposed on the salary increase. What is I think needs to be clarified is that the government agreed to the entirety of the salary increase. The full 8.5%, government fully agreed to the 8.5% salary increase, just that it be introduced in a phased manner. In a way that the government or the fiscal finances kind of can afford. So it's not that there is any effort to try and, and, not reach some, some resolution. There is but and in, largely in terms that has been requested. But it only it can only be done in a way that we can afford."
