Public Service Minister weighs in on Joint Union’s Request for salary increase

Minister of Public Service and Governance Henry Charles Usher has weighed in on the Joint Unions’ request for an 8.5 percent salary increase saying the parties need to commence negotiations. Last week, the body demanded the government adjust their salaries after news broke that Chief Executive Officers and the Cabinet Secretary received a pay raise. The JUNT labeled the move as a slap in the face and called for an 8.5% salary adjustment for public officers and teachers. The union claimed the decision highlights an inequity in government spending and went against assurances given by the government’s negotiating team. The situation led to the unions, particularly the PSU, condemning the decision and demanding the government respond by May 1. Well, today, the Minister of Public Service and Governance Henry Charles Usher broke the government’s silence on the matter and noted that the decision was one taken by the Ministry of Finance. 

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service and Governance and NEMO: “CEOs are contract officers and like all contract officers, their terms and conditions or the contractual terms and conditions are determined by the Ministry of Finance. So really that was a decision taken by the Ministry of Finance. There was some negotiation in place like with all contract officers and of course you have an overall government policy that governs terms and conditions for persons in the public service. So really that is where the first area was in terms of the contract. It’s something that we have to make sure that is within government policy. Their duties and responsibilities are included in that contract, their allowances and so on. So I think that’s the first part that we have to understand that it was done by the Ministry of Finance  because they are contract officers. As to the second part of your question, the response by the unions. I have said it before, I think that the letter that we received, it was a fair letter in terms of what they were requesting. We do have some fault on our side in terms of not meeting with the unions since the election. I think I’ve spoken to the Deputy Prime Minister who is the lead in terms of the government representatives meeting with the union and I mentioned to him that we have to try to sit down with all the unions so that we can have that discussion. Of course the dialogue continues at the ministry level, Ministry of Public Service, we continue to dialogue with PSU. I know the Ministry of Education continues to dialogue with the BNTU.  But we need to sit down as a group so that all of these issues can be fleshed out, all of these issues can be put on the table, and we can come up to a proper solution as to how we go forward. When it comes to the salaries for public officers, as you know, we’re going through a comprehensive review of all the salaries in the public service. It’s not an easy exercise.  It comes out of that project, the job classification and compensation project that started some years ago. and now has become a full-time unit in the Ministry of Public Service. The classification exercise is going through its round two phase right now and then round three, of course, is to look at compensation and that includes looking at how persons in the private sector of equal posts are compensated to make sure that we get the best and the brightest in the public service.”

While the union has called for a phased approached for their 8.5 percent salary increase, the government may not be able to afford such an increase. Minister Usher was asked if he believes the government can realistically provide the union with their request at this time. 

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service and Governance and NEMO: “I haven’t done the calculation to determine what exactly it would cost but it’s something that we have to talk about. Now, another part that came out of the discussions with the union is to reestablish those committees that look at revenue enhancement, look at cost saving measures, the pension reform committee. These committees are working right now. We had interim reports  submitted right before election. We hope to get some more reports going forward. So it really is a partnership to see how we can improve the terms and conditions, how we can increase the salaries for public officers in a realistic, as you say,  and in a way that is sustainable. We want to make sure that the government can afford the salaries that they are paying to the public officers, not only in terms of salaries but remember pensions as well because the pension bill continues to go up and we have to make sure that we can continue to pay it without having to go into debt in order to pay salary. So I think it’s important that that dialogue continues. Realistically right now I wouldn’t be able to answer that question. It’s something of course that a lot more discussion with the Ministry of Finance, with the budget experts and so on, that needs to be done. But I can’t blame the unions for asking for it. That is their position. Now it’s up to the government to respond to them and to explain to them how we want to see this thing go forward that will be the benefit for everyone. It’s always in their right to take industrial action if they feel that that’s what the membership wants. I think that, I think what is more important or the most important part really is a discussion, is a dialogue because you can be over here taking action, the government can be over here maintaining a position but if these two sides aren’t talking then we get nowhere and I think that is what is important. So I think that what the next step would be is for the government to call a meeting with the joint unions to see how we can discuss these matters.”

The JUNT represents the Public Service Union of Belize (PSU), the Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU), and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers (APSSM).