Former Finance and current Public Utilities Minister Colm Imbert is warning public servants that their union leaders want them to suffer by denying them their backpay.
However, the Public Services Association’s (PSA) president has fired back, saying Imbert could take the Government’s four per cent wage offer and “shove it.”
Speaking at the Diego Martin Central Secondary School Wednesday evening, Imbert said Government is ready to disburse back pay to members of the PSA, but he claimed the executive is refusing to accept their wage offer.
“Not only have we offered the public sector unions four per cent for a particular period, we just offered them a couple of months ago, five per cent, that is nine per cent we have offered them,” Imbert told the hundreds of People’s National Movement supporters in attendance.
Recently, the PSA has fully declared its support for the United National Congress, with both its current and past presidents speaking on a UNC platform.
Imbert accused the United National Congress of peddling what he described as a false narrative that it is the only party to honour back pay commitments.
He said he recently met a PSA member who was unaware of who was responsible for the delay in back pay.
“When I go out walking from time to time, I would meet a member of the PSA. ‘Imbert where the back pay?’ I’d say, ‘but your leader didn’t sign the agreement, the PSA has to sign the agreement first before you get back pay.’”
Imbert said he told the person, “That is how teachers got back pay that is how police officers got back pay, that is how prisons officers get back pay, that is how fire service gets back pay, that is how the army gets back pay.”
The former Finance Minister claimed union leaders do not have their members’ best interests at heart.
He challenged the members to hold them accountable.
“So, I am urging every member of the PSA, you need to deal with your leaders, they are holding back your back pay, everybody else get back pay, except public servants because you have union leaders that want you to suffer,” he said.
Imbert said that contrary to the UNC’s narrative, the PNM has a history of honouring its debts to workers, even if it means paying a bill left behind by a previous administration.
Imbert said he hoped that the union leaders would come to their senses.
However, PSA president Felisha Thomas told Guardian Media yesterday, “Colm Imbert must be delusional to think for a second that 4 per cent over 6 years is an acceptable offer on behalf of public officers.”
Thomas said if Government can afford “hefty” increases for themselves, they can afford a much better offer for public officers who she said are the backbone of this country.
“They are hypocrites!” Thomas declared.
Thomas said when Imbert speaks about “suffering” he was referring to what workers have experienced at the hands of this government.
“That being said we continue to reject four per cent over six years. We reject the non-consolidation of COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment), we reject the buyout of pensioners’ back pay. Tell them to shove it!”
