Vanloo pleased government indicated its intention to pay public servants in writing

President of the Public Service Union (PSU) Cools Vanloo says the union is pleased that the government has indicated in writing its intention to pay public servants 1.5 per cent of the total 3 per cent owed to them since January 2011.{{more}}

Following the announcement by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves in October that public servants would receive half the full payment in December, Vanloo indicated that the prime minister’s offer was not put in writing.

“I can’t say anything, because I don’t know what the prime minister’s arithmetic is all about,” he said then.

And he told SEARCHLIGHT Wednesday that the prime minister was expected to meet with the unions to state the position of the payment of the 3 per cent, but rather than calling the meeting, he announced his intention to pay half the amount owed.

“So, of course, if we are engaged — the government, the employer and the union, then obviously we anticipate that the government will look to do it in a proper way — that is how the government and the union communicate,” he explained.

It is put in writing, particularly regarding important matters such as that.

“We don’t always do it, but on important matters like this we were demanding that we should have had this for the records, so incoming executives in the future can go through the records and see how the whole thing progressed,” Vanloo said.

“To say yes we will pay is not enough. It doesn’t do justice to the union as an organisation,” he continued.

“But there was no consideration whatsoever going into 2013; that was never part of the arrangement,” Vanloo said.

He said that the union had proposed that if the government was unable to pay the full 3 per cent, the first 1.5 per cent be paid in January 2012 with the remaining to be paid in December 2012.

“So, what we would have been getting now is in addition to what public servants would have already received,” Vanloo said. (DD)