Despite concerns raised by the Police Welfare Association (PWA), negotiations with the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) over wage increases and other issues have not reached a deadlock, according to the Minister for Labour and the Public Service, Virginia Albert-Poyotte.
She made the statement on Monday during the pre-Cabinet press briefing, responding to complaints by PWA President Camron Laure, who said his association had not settled on a wage increase because it was still negotiating with the GNT on fringe benefits such as overtime pay.
Laure has publicly criticised Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre’s announcement of a 13 per cent wage increase for 2022-2028, and his subsequent declaration last week that police would get back pay along with other public servants whose representative associations agreed to the pay hike, even though negotiations are not over.
Last December, the representative body for the police as well as the National Workers Union (NWU) declined the government’s offer.
Criticising the PWA for venting the issues in public, Albert-Poyotte said: “It is unfortunate that they went public on their negotiations before it was completed because there are many things the government could have said about negotiations. There are many things that I, Minister with responsibility for Labour and the Public Service, could have said.
“But we respect the negotiation process, and unless there is a deadlock between two parties where they cannot move forward from where they are, you do not go public with the matter because they are in dialogue.”
She reiterated that the GNT is still engaging the PWA, and the matter would only go to mediation if talks stalled completely.
“Unless it is a deadlock, we do not discuss that in public,” she stressed.
The PWA has opted to negotiate with the GNT independently of the Trade Union Federation (TUF), while other unions have already accepted the government’s offer.
Albert-Poyotte maintained that the GNT would determine if negotiations had reached an impasse, but at this stage, discussions are ongoing.
“The Government Negotiating Team is the one that has to let the government know when there is a deadlock in the negotiation. And as far as I’m concerned, from what I have heard, they have not reached a deadlock, so there is still dialogue between the [GNT] and the other unions that are negotiating,” she said.
Alice in wonderland in the bushes of Babonneau . You just out of touch reality, no empathy in your tone, when you talked on tv on news cast referring on the murders if young ladies that they knew their killers your tone just didn’t cut it . Almost seem like it was there fault. Knowing fully well crisis center was not functional…. Let GNT answer the next time. Drink water and continue what we’re doing for the past 3 years …Hopefully your pleasant appeal carries you forward……