During an address to a Public Service Day ecumenical service on Friday, Public Service Minister Dr. Virginia Albert-Poyotte called on Saint Lucia public servants to ‘raise the bar’ in the service they provide.
“I want us to raise the bar for public officers. We want to show the public that we are committed – we are concerned about their welfare. I want you to go out of your way to assist the public,” the Babonneau MP told her audience.
The veteran former trade unionist asserted that workers should provide a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay.
“You agreed to work for that pay, so you come and you give your best,” Albert-Poyotte said.
“I want us to raise the bar for public officers. We want to show the public that we are committed – we are concerned about their welfare. I want you to go out of your way to assist the public,” the Babonneau MP told her audience.
This year’s Public Service Day theme is ‘Public Sector Modernisation – Repositioning And Rebranding the Public Service To Improve Service Delivery’.
Albert Poyotte declared that public officers are under constant attack from the public.
“And sometimes we are to be blamed for the attacks because we do not tell people what we do or they do not understand the work of public officers,” the Minister, also responsible for Home Affairs, Labour, and Gender Affairs, stated.
However, she observed that the country would be in doom and gloom without public officers as they operate the government machinery.
Albert-Poyotte said she makes no apologies for their work conditions and salaries because they are giving public service.
“It’s not a job. It’s just service you’re giving, and then government will give you a little compensation for that,” the Minister explained.
Albert-Poyotte noted that many people want to work in the public service because of job security.
“They tell you, ‘It’s not easy to fire me when I’m working for government’,” she stated.
According to the Minister, although the private sector offers better conditions and bigger salaries, some individuals prefer to work for the government because, unconcerned about the money, they want to give ‘public service’.
“Am I correct?” She asked the audience, observing that she was not receiving a nod from some people.
“We say government gives you security of tenure because there is what we call ‘deferred gratification’, meaning you will not get a big salary now. But because you have security of job, you have the level of respect that the public will give you and if you live to retire, you are going to get bigger benefits,” the Minister stated.
She also mentioned pension and gratuity.
“Government is putting money aside for when you cannot work again because some people work in the private sector – they work for big salaries and they squander the money and when they reach a certain age they go right back into poverty,” Albert-Poyotte pointed out.
“So government is protecting you,” she told the public officers at the ecumenical service at Basilica Of The Immaculate Conception In Castries.
Madame Minister, what do you expect when there are no consequences for incompetence and poor public service. They are well paid, tenured and with retirement benefits. I hope your speech will move a significant number of public servants from complacency to action manifested by improved public service.
St Lucian Public “Servants” are the rudest, most sullen, indolent, arrogant and incompetent Government workers across all agencies within the Caribbean. Of course there are a few exceptions, but generally they don’t know or value their job, nor will not go out of their way to assist people. They take Leave without advising when they will return, and some are known to have taken “sick” days to conduct illicit affairs. Completely unethical and outrageous behaviour. As @John Brown said, they do not face consequences. In other countries, (most) Public Servants value the service they provide, and are not only there for the salary and benefits. It is a privilege to work in the Public Sector and those who do not uphold Public Service values should be appropriately disciplined or sacked for some of the behaviour witnessed in Sent Lisie! The Minister should have mentioned disciplinary action in her speech.
Madam Minister thank you for highlighting yhe unhealthy state of affairs, of particular importance is the partisan approach of the Labour Department. This is not good for our democracy, you must look into this Department and address the plight of St Lucian.
Most of them are lacking the necessary skill sets for the job. In addition they want to be exalted in their position as GODs of the universe. They want folk to literally worship them as if your life is in their hands and they are doing you a favor for a costly service ..who does that??????.
I left St. Lucia at a young age and as a result I have a Baptism Certificate …in order to get a birth citizenship it appears that I have to go around the world 🌎 and return.
Guess what, I am good I will not subject myself to this unprofessional and unethical behavior by anyone in St. Lucia or elsewhere ..keep the birth certificate. I work with the public and I conduct myself according to policy and procedure with respect and equal treatment for everyone.
All government agencies and even private sector in St. Lucia needs reformation like yesterday …🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 forget about the banks and the healthcare sector 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾