Lead Editor - Newsgathering
kejan.haynes@guardian.co.tt
Public Services Association (PSA) president Felisha Thomas says she has already written to the chief personnel officer (CPO) to begin wage talks and wants negotiations concluded before Christmas so public servants can have their money in their pockets for the holidays.
Thomas confirmed that the CPO has received the union’s request to meet.
“The CPO reached out to me to confirm that he received the union’s letter requesting to meet, and we await his response when that is concerned,” she said.
“We are serious about your business. We are serious about settling your negotiations. Our aim is to have your negotiations settled by Christmas so that your monies will be in your pockets.”
Speaking at a news conference at the union’s headquarters at Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain, she described the Government’s 10 per cent wage offer for the 2014–2016 and 2017–2019 periods as “a day of victory, a day for workers to celebrate,” and said it signalled a return to genuine negotiations.
“What the Minister of Finance did yesterday (Monday) was restore the negotiation process. What we saw previously was an imposition,” Thomas said.
“We had two meetings where we received a letter and it was a take it or leave it approach to negotiations. We now have the opportunity to sit and negotiate. We have 10% before us.”
Thomas also rejected Opposition MP Brian Manning’s claim that the former administration had offered a nine per cent increase. “I found it very disingenuous of the Opposition to stand before the public, workers, civil servants, to say that they had an offer of 9% on the table,” she said.
She was responding to Manning, who was speaking on CNC3’s post-budget panel discussion on Monday night.
He had said, “The original commitment was 10% for the 2014-2016. What is being offered here? This 10% for both periods 2014-2016 and 2017 to 2019. It’s similar to what the PNM offered and was rejected by the PSA. And what the PNM offered was 9%.”
Planning Minister Kennedy Swaratsingh, who was on the panel as well, retorted, “On our (UNC’s) election campaign, we talked about 2013-2019. It was always the intention. I’m not sure what the PNM put and what was rejected, but I can tell you this: if the PNM had put 9% on the table, my recollection was that it was disaggregated over three years. But be that as it may, the fact is what you (Manning/PNM) couldn’t get done over ten years, we have gotten done in six months.”
Yesterday, Thomas had some harsh words for the former administration.
“Comrades, I sit here this afternoon and I call them what they are. They are liars. They lie to the public,” Thomas said while she displayed official documents showing that the previous offer amounted to four per cent over six years.
“The offer that was placed on behalf of public officers was an offer of 4% over a period of 6 years,” she said. “This is their evidence. This is what they have been fighting us in court to impose, that 4%, that disrespectful 4% on workers.” Thomas accused the Opposition of “trying to create mischief” after what she described as ten years of neglect. “They are probably ashamed of what they have done for the past 10 years to public officers and rightly so,” she said. “I continue to say to Brian Manning, be quiet, stay silent. The message was sent before, and it was sent yesterday. Sit down. Stay out of public officers’ business.”
Meanwhile, former finance minister Colm Imbert responded on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “This is a Government of deception. The cost of implementing that 10% wage increase across the public sector is not included in the 2026 Estimates of Expenditure. If it was and the true revenue figures were stated, the 2026 budget deficit would actually be closer to $20 billion.”
Thomas said the PSA will continue to engage members directly. “Any information in relation to your negotiations comes from the PSA, no other entity,” she said.
