Latest update September 3rd, 2026 10:25 AM
Why all the fuss about the salary increase?
Dear Editor,
I do hope this letter will find favour as a previous one supporting the wages increase to Government functionaries did not. Mr Editor, a writer once said that he had kept focusing on the forest and lost sight of the trees. This connotation seems to be paramount in our expressions these days where we are focusing on politics and losing sight of realities.
That being so brings me to the issue of withdrawal of subsidies for water and electricity to old aged pensioners . As a recipient, Mr. Editor, this is not what took place. The reality is, subsidies for 2015 were already given to those who were benefiting before the application of the increase and those who were not are now receiving cash in lieu. Whatever anomaly that may have been sighted is expected to be corrected in plans for 2016. What is surprising, there were no protest previously for the subsidy not being given to all pensioners, why now? Based on my trade union experience, you do not protest against administration in their attempt to correct wages and benefits anomalies, you do so when they failed not to. This is one of the reasons for which I am in disagreement with my colleague Lincoln Lewis for somersaulting on the wages issue. My understanding is that provision had to be made on the scale for the VPs and in doing so the anomalies sighted were prudent to address now, and I further understand that the 50% is not across the board some will receive a paltry 5% so why all this fuss. Patrick Yard did the right thing to support the issue which to my mind he will use as a yard stick to negotiate for better wages and working conditions for his members. Finally, Mr. Editor we need to give this new administration breathing space to function and as our President rightly said we will see the benefits of that increase down the road, and again friends, let us not focus too much on politics and lost sight of realities.
Sam T. Fraser
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