PHILIPSBURG:--- The Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) is calling on the Council of Ministers under the guidance of the Honorable Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs to reconsider its letter dated, January 27, 2023, titled, “the Temporary National Ordinance Covid-19 cuts in employment conditions for public servants.”
The letter sent to all Public Servants outlines the lifting of the cost-cutting measures that affected the Country due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The letter addressed vacation days, Vacation Pay, Salary increments, Indexing, and overtime.
“This letter sent to all Public Servants is unacceptable especially since no dialogue with unions has been sought,” remarked Stuart Johnson President of the WITU.
In the opinion of the WITU, there is a number of issues mentioned within the letter that must be still discussed and addressed.
“You simply cannot pretend that the salary increments, indexing, and the outstanding vacation allowance owed to Civil Servants will just vanish,” Johnson said.
He added, “I have called on my colleague unions collectively and through the Windward Islands Chamber of Labor Unions (WICLU) to meet urgently to address this letter sent to Public Servants.”
WITU has had several general membership meetings with its membership, which has been expecting to see a number of concerns being addressed properly by the Government.
“This letter speaks volumes and it’s a tipping point to the WITU membership which considers it unacceptable in these challenging times,” Johnson concluded.
