The Public Service Union (PSU) says while it has agreed to an eight per cent salary increase for public servants over a three year period, there are two contentious matters, which have delayed the unions push for an agreement with the Dominica government for a salary increase.
PSU general secretary, Thomas Letang said while there was agreement on the eight per cent salary increase as well as on several other benefits, the union wants the government to consider some employees who have retired.
‘We had agreed to all the matters including salaries, except that we had one or two concerns. And one of the things we are concerned about is that there are people who in the service in 2021 and 2022. They have since retired but they did not beneft from the reclassification.and had the salary increase been paid for that period, they would have benefitted, but they did not.’
He said that the union has written to the government on the matter and that ‘a one-off payment should apply to them.
‘The government has responded not agreeing to that request from us,’ Letang said, adding that the union is also pushing for representation on the government housing loans board.
He said while the legislation governing the board ‘does not say the union must have some on the board, the practice in the past was always the union as well as the Police Welfare Association would have somebody representing those institutions.
‘So we wrote to government to that effect, we got a response but the response was not saying that the government negotiating team would take that to the government. We have since written stating that we are not in agreement with those positions.and as soon as we can finalise positions on those two issues we will be ready to sign some correspondence stating that we have agreed and we are ready to sign (collective agreement),’ Letang said.
Meanwhile, the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT) says its members will receive an eight per cent salary increase over a three-year period following the conclusion of negotiations with the government.
‘In terms of salary increases, teachers like all other government employees, will receive an eight per cent salary increase for the biennial 2024-27. Three per cent for the year 2024-25, two per cent for 2025-26 and three per cent 2026-27, ‘ said DAT president Mervin Alexander.
He said among the other ‘significant’ benefits are that principals n government secondary schools will now be recognised as travelling officers and will receive a travelling allowance of EC$807 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) monthly in addition to milage claim when travelling on school business.
He said the description ‘unqualified teachers’ will no longer be used as an established post for teachers and that some teachers will become established teachers effective September 1 this year.
‘There were many teachers engaged in a non-established capacity termed programme requirement for a number of years. Effective September1, all teachers previously under this programme will transition into established positions’.
He said with regards to the ‘lng awaited revision of the primary school structure, the government has agreed to embark upon a review and restructure of the primary schools by January 2026.
Alexander said that the government has also agreed to a pension for teachers who retired from the public service at age 60 until their 65th birthday and that if the Social Security payment is less than what is being offered by the government ‘the government has agreed to pay the difference to the officers.
Alexander said teachers who did not benefit following the reclassification exercise conducted in 2O23 could also receive a one-off payment of as much as 5O per cent of their salary.