Thursday, June 9, 2011

Trade unions, Finance Minister meet but fail to reach a deal on money

Representatives of several trade trade unions met Wednesday with Finance Minister Winston Dookeran and told the minister they will not accept the government's wage offer of five per cent.

Earlier this year the Public Services Association (PSA) accepted the five per cent wage increase along with some other concessions. Other labour unions condemned PSA President Watson Duke for "selling out" although Duke explained that it was the best thing to do.

Following Wednesday's meeting the spokesperson for the unions, OWTU President, Ancel Roget, said there was no no deal.

He said Dookeran outlined the current challenges facing the Government including Clico issue, settling debt to contractors. However he said the minister's priority did not include settlement of the debt to workers.

"Out of an abundance of caution, we want to be clear that we had no agreement. We are strong in our resolve that we have to fight this Government to ensure that workers get their just due."

Roget suggested that the meeting did not serve any real purpose and accused the minister of being "far-removed from the realities facing workers". He added that the minister "is holding fast to his backward economic policies of the 1980s."

He said, "The Government is heading for a collision and the Minister of Finance is leading that collision. The Government is squandering the opportunity given to them on May 24th 2010. It is the workers who will make a particular intervention, the likes of which we have not seen in quite a while."

Roget also said trade unions won't welcome politicians at the annual Labour Day march unless they have longstanding ties to labour.

Trade unions are hoping to put aside their differences and present a united front at Charlie King Junction on June 19.

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Jai & Sero

Jai & Sero

Our family at home in Toronto 2008

Our family at home in Toronto 2008
Amit, Heather, Fuzz, Aj, Jiv, Shiva, Rampa, Sero, Jai