PWU: No to salary increase offer

Public sector employees in Grenada have turned down the wage hike that was offered to them for a four-year period by Keith Mitchell's New National Party (NNP) government.

According to a high-level union official, the civil servants by secret ballot voted in large numbers not to accept the increase in wages that were offered to the Public Workers Union (PWU) by the State. The official said that initially, the workers were inclined to accept the package that was offered but recent events in the country forced the workers to rethink their position.

He pointed to sharp increases in some basic consumer items including milk that have affected "the pockets of all workers in the country". A 5-lb tin of Nido milk moved from $35.00 to $46.35 while other  major brands of milk recorded similar price increases in recent days.

Operators of mini buses on the island are also said to be clamouring for an increase in bus fares due to recent increases in fuel prices."Things have changed", said the PWU official who asked not to be named.

The Mitchell government was said to be anxious to work out a new industrial agreement with public sector employees in the country prior to the start of campaigning for the upcoming general elections.
Meanwhile, the PWU, headed by female trade unionist, Madonna Harford  issued the following release on the decision that was taken to reject government's offer:

"Workers represented by the Public Workers' Union have rejected the Government's Offer for Salary Increases over a Four-Year Period.

The Government made the offer to the Union in May and thereafter the PWU conducted a series of polls at various workplaces.

Government's offer to the Union was as follows:

* Workers earning a Salary of $1,843.00 and under would receive 6% for 2006 and 5% per annum for 2007 to 2009

* Workers earning a Salary of $1,844.00 to $3,279.00 would receive 4% per annum for the period 2006 to 2009 and

* Workers earning a Salary of $3,280.00 and above would receive 3% per annum for the period 2006 to 2009

The Public Workers' Union says it will communicate the workers' decision to the Government's Negotiating Team and is subsequently expecting to continue negotiations.

The last contract between  PWU and Government ended in December 2005".