The Public Services Association (PSA) is now facing the threat of disintegration, as public servants, unhappy with the five per cent wage increase president Watson Duke settled for, are considering withdrawing their membership.Several workers at the Board of Inland Revenue, Customs and the Ministry of Finance yesterday said one word when asked how they felt about the five per cent settlement: Betrayal.Many said they wanted to withdraw their membership from the PSA.
However, Communications Workers Unions (CWU) president, Joseph Remy, warned against such moves, saying it would result in the disintegration of the union, which was what the employers would want.Several public servants spoke to the T&T Guardian on the condition of anonymity.A worker at the Trinidad House, Port-of-Spain, branch of the Board of Inland Revenue, said: "Most workers here are not happy with the five per cent wage increase."The general feeling among them is Duke sold out and many are saying they want to withdraw their membership from the PSA."
The worker said he heard no talk of possible victimisation from the union for speaking out against Duke's settlement."The union can't victimise anybody," he added.Another worker said: "It's a betrayal. I would say Duke had no consultation with the membership."He was telling us one thing and now we are seeing no big change."A female worker from the Taxpayers' Division nearby felt Duke had no other choice."If he had gone to the tribunal it could have been worse. We could have gotten five per cent for five years." she added.This worker was not too happy with the overall package that came with the agreement."We not getting anything," she said. "By the time you add that five per cent to your salary and then they tax it, you coming out with nothing."She said the offer of housing was a "big mamaguy."
"Public servants' salaries can't pay $1 million for these Government houses anyway. The houses are too expensive."Right now, I living month-to-month, paying bills and sending my two children to school." she added.Another worker from this division, taking a smoke break outside, said: "It doesn't bother me. I will continue like how I used to live."There's nothing I can do. I can't wave a magic wand and make things happen," he said.The young worker said he lived with his parents, was not married and had no children and no bills to pay.
A worker from the Customs & Excise Division said: "Betrayal. Sell out. We don't want him (Duke) as president."A colleague had a different view, however: "I think it was a good deal given the state of the economy."The five per cent will help the economy grow. If they had injected more money into the economy, it would have caused inflation."A Ministry of Finance employee predicted: "A lot of members are going to withdraw from the PSA."Duke sell out. But we will try and work with the five per cent. We hear another round of negotiations going to start soon."