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Are NDC workers not worthy of the good life?
DEAR EDITOR,
The ‘Clean up my country’ campaign initiated by President Granger in 2015 quickly lost its impetus, and it seems as though the workers who remain or were in the system at municipalities and NDCs are completely forgotten.
The Govt. was swift to raise the already huge salaries of Ministers and MPs by 50%. Small increments in salary were passed to Public servants in 2016 but did not reach the workers at the NDCs.
Last year end, Govt. offered 8% increase for Public servants earning below $100,000 retroactive from January. Sadly, none of the NDCs offered anything retroactive to their workers – very few if any offered any increase in salary for 2018. The 2017 budget saw a massive increase in the price of groceries due to the spread of VAT on goods that did not previously attract the tax. The price of an essential like milk went from $300 to $500 per pound.
I understand that we NDC workers are not considered as Public Servants, despite the fact that central
Govt. does give annual subventions to the NDCs. That should entitle them to a say in these NDCs.
Editor, an NDC worker earns 40,000 to $45,000 per month – way below the income tax threshold of $60,000. We practically shovel faeces out of every one’s environment – working in the most bacteria-infested conditions for any category of worker in this country.
Our pockets have been ravaged by the draconian budget, and like everyone else, we have to pay increased prices for groceries too.
To think that we have been left out of the 8% retroactive increase is justifiable cause for vexation and counter-productive to equality of opportunity for all. The Minister of Communities should ensure that the NDCs pay their workers the 8% increase retroactive for 2017 and 8% increase in salary for this year.
What happened to ‘Clean up my country?’ We have to maintain that programme. As it is, we are just pawns in the provision of the good life for others. Are we not worthy of “the good life”?
The President should adjudicate on this discrepancy. He is the one who initiated “the good life”.
Vishnu Lalaram
Distraught Worker
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