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The sugar industry has no parallel situation
DEAR EDITOR,
In KN’s Sunday 22 December, 2013 edition, 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’ are more than questions; 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 have so far also benefitted 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.
Finally PT’s obfuscations would be enlightened by the fact that a disproportionate number of contracted employees are at the level of Cleaners, Office Assistants and other under-skilled, deliberately making these workers vulnerable to termination by notice at any time, without explanation and without resource to redress. The sugar industry has no parallel situation.
E.B. John
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