Public sector working conditions better – PM

Public sector workers, nurses and police officers have had extraordinary improvements in their working conditions under the present administration.

As he made this assertion while delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony of the 46th Annual Conference of the Caribbean Public Service Association (CPSA), held at the Russell’s Auditorium on July 17,Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves told those{{more}} gathered that although conditions had improved, there was still much more to be done, “which we have to do in solidarity with one another.”

Gonsalves said it was understandable that there would be a tension between demand and resources, “but when that tension occurs, our Government is always willing to go the extra mile, but I do not run a government only for the public servants.”

He said he had to do a balance and this country suffered tremendously from the global economic crisis and prior to that the removal of the banana preferences.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the impact of the fallout from the CLICO and BAICO demise and the natural disasters which occurred in the period 2010-2013, amounting to damage in excess of 40 per cent of the GDP of this country.

He added that 60 per cent of the recurrent expenditure of this country is paid in salaries and wages and retirement benefits for public servants.

“Now, the only way I can reasonably increase that percentage or the quantum, if not the percentage, is by ‘growing the pie’ a little more; that means I have to do a lot of infrastructural work and put the country on a sustainable path of development.”

Also touching on the topic of solidarity from an historical background, he said in the 1930s there were anti-colonial uprisings across the Caribbean. He said what struck him among the demands of all the leaders in these countries was that we must have a university of the West Indies: “We are talking about workers who didn’t finish primary school, peasants who couldn’t read and write, but their leaders said to them we have to look to the future and education is vital and we must have a university.”

He said what was interesting was that they were in solidarity for a number of things, but when you read the Moyne Commission Report, which came out after the war, the report indicated that this was a persistent demand (a university) not only from the leaders themselves, but from ordinary people whom they met.

Making reference to the offspring of the struggles in the context of solidarity, he said political parties and trade unions emerged and also the University of the West Indies (UWI).

Business sessions for the conference will end today. (API)