Saturday, April 18, 2009

Decision Monday

.....................
Posted by at

3 comments:

Young Lucian said...

This government has taken the people for a ride for way too long. How can you go ahead and give a guarantee to teachers and civil servants and come back months later, AFTER the final hour, and say that you can't meet it? If the government couldn't have paid in the first place, then why sign on to such a high increase? The government's ability to negotiate seems piss poor. When I originally heard of the 14.5% increase I was absolutely shocked because, although the cost of living had gone up, I still thought the increase ambitious given the economic climate. What they have now done is give people false expectations. Absolute SHAME. Why must civil servants now suffer because of poor management? Government salaries and wages cover about $250 million or 33% of recurrent expenditure according to the 2008/9 Budget. A 14.5% wage increase would represent a budget increase of 4.8% of the recurrent budget or about $35 million. I find it hard government cannot seem to make that amount but then again. Perhaps we could start by cutting back on costly foreign service appointments, our exceedinly large cabinet and the crazy salary to Hepple. Let's hope we get a real picture of the state of our finances when we see the budget next week and not another hoax 7% growth fantasy budget.

April 18, 2009 at 8:43 AM
Anonymous said...

Can we for once leave the politics out and understand that these are tough times everywhere.
Read about Jamaica, Barbados, and other eastern caribbean territories including Martinique and learn what is at stake.
Civil servants are lucky in St. Lucia to get the first two parts of a pay increase.
Only in St. Lucia are we so blind to let allegiance to 'party' dim our senses.

April 18, 2009 at 5:20 PM
Anonymous said...

HOGWASH! I'm pretty certain the government knew they weren't going to be able to pay civil servants from since the start of the year! How rude and unprofessional to wait till the last minute to say that you won't pay and that teachers should perhaps even forget about it. Its DISHONEST, that's what it is. Why should Saint Lucians stand for that. Perhaps if they government showed some austerity in their own operations and policy decisions people would be more understanding, but no, not with how things are running.

April 22, 2009 at 8:42 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)