Government, DAT, PWA end salary Negotiations

Government and the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT) and the Police Welfare Association (PWA) have successfully concluded wage and salary negotiations for the 2009/2012 Triennium, a Government press release stated.

Negotiations for the triennium commenced in December 2009 with the three Public Sector Representative Bodies including the Dominica Public Service Union, in keeping with Part IV of the Public Service Act Chapter 23:01 of the Revised Laws of the Commonwealth of Dominica.

The benefits which will form the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the triennium include: increase in wages and salaries – 3% for 2009/2010, 1% for 2010/2011 and 1.5% for 2011/2012; increase in allowances and introduction of new allowances; grant of duty free concessions on purchase of vehicles to travelling officers; contribution to tertiary education and health and wellness programmes of the unions; allocation of housing lots to Police Officers; free medical attention for teachers injured on the job at Government institutions locally and at private institutions locally and overseas; and access to low interest mortgage loans, the release added.

It continued: "In the 2006/2009 Triennium, Government approved an increase of 6%. The increase for the 2009/2012 Triennium is 5.5%, notwithstanding the declining global fiscal and economic conditions which have affected both developed and developing countries alike.

"The Job Evaluation Review Exercise which commenced in February 2012 has been concluded and the Government is awaiting the final report of the consultants of the Caribbean Centre for Administration Development (CARICAD).

"The first Job Evaluation and Classification activity was conducted in the Dominica Public Service in the early 1990's. Since then, a review has not been undertaken service-wide. Therefore, the findings and recommendations emanating from the exercise are important for effective and sustainable human resource planning and budgeting. It is anticipated that the report will form the basis for discussions with the unions for the 2012/2015 Triennium which has already commenced.

"The Government of Dominica commends the executive members and the general membership of the Dominica Association of Teachers and the Police Welfare Association for their understanding and cooperation in concluding negotiations and more particularly for their cognizance and appreciation of Government's efforts to ensure that expenditure is effectively managed and controlled in order to sustain the level of goods and services currently being provided to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Dominica"

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said last week he hoped that the Public Service Union would agree to the 1.5 per cent that the Government offered for the 2011/2012 period. The DPSU wants two per cent.