Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced a five per cent wage increase for public servants saying that the increase is due to pledges by “two friendly government” to provide budgetary support for Dominica.
Skerrit, campaigning for the December 8 general election, told a meeting of his ruling Dominica Labour Party (DLP) on Wednesday night, that he had already informed government negotiators to increase the offer to the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) and the Dominica Teachers Association (DTA) from zero per cent over the next three years to five per cent.
“I am therefore delighted to be in a position tonight to announce to you and to the country that effective Thursday, the fourth day of December 2014, the government’s offer to public service unions and therefore by extension to all public officers in Dominica, shall be three per cent in the first year, one per cent in the second year and one per cent in the third year”.
Skerrit said that the pledge from un-named friendly governments had come at a time when his administration was unable to increase its offer and the country could ill afford an increase in expenditure.
He said talks had been held with those governments over the past four months on the issue of budget support.
“These countries not yet out of the woods, economically and I am not minded to increase the level of direct taxation on the workers of Dominica. Therefore I laid my cards out to two friendly governments in particular and I am pleased …to announce that within the last 48 hours I have ad direct pledges from two friendly governments to assist with the issue of budgetary support for next year,” Skerrit told supporters.
Last week, the DPSU said that it had rejected the latest offer a two per cent increase for the first year and zero per cent for the following two years.
“We met with the government…and we left the meeting and government’s latest position was two per cent for the first year, no increases for the second year and no increases for the third year,” said PDSU general secretary, Thomas Letang.
The union is seeking a 10 per cent wage increase over the three year period.