‘Public servants peeved over reclassification, come forward’

Public servants who are peeved over the implementation of the R2 phase of the reclassification process are being urged to speak up by the teachers’ union president.

“Public servants who are murmuring under their breaths, they need to come out and join the teachers,” Joy Matthews said at a press conference last Monday.{{more}}

Matthews was addressing the ongoing impasse between government and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers’ Union (SVGTU) over the implementation of the R2 phase of the reclassification process.

She is adamant that government’s offer of a six per cent adjustment at the midpoint of the salary scales is unacceptable and believes that the Union’s counter proposal of 13 per cent is reasonable.

Matthews told journalists that there continues to be a misunderstanding concerning the difference between a salary increase and the reclassification percentage increase.

Matthews explained that the reclassification percentage adjustment is important, if they are to maintain the dollar value of any increase that they will get.

She explained that a salary increase cannot be used to establish the dollar value of the jobs, but rather to maintain the dollar value once it has been established.

Matthews said that the union was tricked with the implementation of the R1 in November last year. She explained that is because it was implemented along with the various allowances, and backdated salaries because of R1.

“These allowances and salary increases were designed to eclipse the reclassification. We will not be caught in this again,” Matthews said.

“We would not be negotiating any salary increases until R2 is satisfactorily done.”

The union held a meeting of its members last week, and while the attendance wasn’t great, Matthews and union Vice President Sheldon Govia said that once action needed to be taken, the union will have the support of its members.

Teachers present at the meeting gave the union heads the mandate to continue to sensitize the nation on the issue and strongly opposed the government’s proposal.

While they tried to dodge questions referring to possible industrial action, the union eventually said that industrial action is possible, though not desired.

“Why do we have to protest before our needs are taken care off?” Matthews asked.

Matthews said that another reason why it is important to get R2 right is because as it stands, public servants in some scales will be taking up to seven years to get about $400 in increments.

Matthews appealed to the public to understand the plight of the teachers and said that if action is taken, she doesn’t want it to be perceived as the teachers “holding the children at ransom.”

The teachers’ union is working in collaboration with the Public Service Union on this issue, and a meeting between the two entities was expected to take place earlier this week to discuss the way forward.

In an earlier interview with SEARCHLIGHT, Godfred Pompey, the Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s office, said that he believes the situation will be worked out.

“We are having differences, but we are not at loggerheads,” he had said.

However, it would seem that at least by press time, the two sides were singing from far different song sheets. (KJ)