And the real issues they are talking about are the points of negotiation between the joint unions and the government negotiating team.
On June fifth, Minister of state for Finance Chris Coye sent a counter proposal to the unions which offended the unions.
That's because it did offer the 8.5% increase staggered over time - but said it was SUBJECT TO acceptance of a pension reform proposal.
The president of the APSSM explains why she found that's problematic:
Sharon Frazer, President, APSSM
"What caught our eyes was the fact that in the letter and in bold capital letters, it said, subject to and I heard - and I have respect for the Minister of State - and I heard him on another media house saying I got it wrong, because if you're putting subject to in capital letters, it is to catch my attention and it is to say everything that follows it depends on. But maybe it's a different law school I went to, maybe. Because he said that is not the case. It was subject to pension reform so to get any of the things above, which was the 4 and the 4 and a half and the increments, it was subject to pension reform and with the pension reform, it spoke to the fact that the implementation of it, and it was to be implemented in 2 phase, the first phase was incoming public officers and this should have been effective the first of October 2025 and the second phase is that the contributory pension scheme would have been implemented to existing public officers at the earliest possible, having regard for the ongoing comprehensive salary review."
"Despite the narrative they're giving out there, it might want to seem that we are not for pension reform. That has never been the case, pension reform has been on the table for years now, we recognize that as responsible member of the public sector, that we have to look at going forward so that my children will have something to look forward to."
