So much for collective bargaining!

Dec 24, 2013 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
In KN’s Sunday 22 December, 2013, Peeping Tom (PT) has concocted, at first blush, a plausible argument for not arbitrarily ‘imposing’ more than 5% since (to skip to his/her conclusion) large increases could undermine ‘sustainability’ and ‘viability’.
One reaction to this posture would be to enquire whether PT would argue the same were the workers concerned of the sugar industry – where the argument of ‘affordability’ has been glaringly ignored in a situation where ‘sustainability’ and ‘viability’ is more than a question; but an undeniable fact.
It is important to disregard the distractive mention of Burnham and agency fees (which could only have strengthened the Union’s constitutional bargaining rights even at a time of a public service being friendly to the administration); as well as the reference to the court challenge (by whom) in 1999.
Instead, one should concentrate on the comparison (or contrast) with the largesse ‘imposed’ annually on sugar workers whose industry consistently fail to make production targets, but whose employers obediently negotiate with the collaborative Unions to pay out money made available by taxpayers, amongst whom are the very deprived public servants. Currently the request to Parliament to shore up the industry is $4B.
As to public servants it is the increasing proportion of ‘contracted employees’ to whom the oversized basic salaries are paid, and whose placements deny promotions to their discriminated pensionable counterparts.
The irony is that contracted employees also benefit from this annual imposition.
PT readers should specifically note that the administration imposed 8% in 2011, just prior to the General Elections, and well ahead of the normal timing.
So that it is barely short of naiveté to suggest that we are dealing with a normal industrial relations situation; when in fact it continues to be the progressive emasculation of the pensionable under-class in the public service.
In the meantime instead of the employment Ministry of Public Service, the conciliation Ministry of Labour is reported to be negotiating with the GPSU on other conditions of service, the most egregious issue of which must be the monthly commuted travel allowance which has not increased since the late 1990s. So much for collective bargaining!
E.B. John

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