NATIONAL WORKERS Union (NWU) vice-president Norman DaCosta wants the Government to defer the new pay increases for Parliamentarians, "on the basis of the country's inability to pay."
Mr. DaCosta, who represents bauxite/alumina workers, in a statement yesterday on the report in last Wednesday's Gleaner that Parliamentarians had received a 16 per cent pay rise effective from October 1, 2002, and based on increases recently granted to civil servants, said that at a time when workers were being asked to accept single digit increase, the move reflected a lack of "equity or fairplay" and could only produce "a whirlwind of resentment."
The statement read:
"Rank and file workers are making a call on the government to defer the recently announced pay increases for relatively ineffective Ministers of Government and Members of Parliament on the basis of the country's inability to pay.
"In a country where almost a quarter of its people are living below the poverty line, and where the cost to the taxpayer of corruption and inefficiency in the system of delivering public service constitutes significant parallel taxation, and at a time when workers are being asked to accept single digit increases, such a move reflects no sense of equity or fair play and can only produce a whirlwind of resentment.
"The 4 per cent productivity based pay increase that was agreed on between Alpart (a private sector company) and the NWU, in May of this year, was criticised as being 'generous' by a Government spokesman, and yet they are awarding themselves a whopping 16 per cent which is way above inflation and not backed by any increase in productivity and efficiency.
"Ponder this ridiculous situation: Parliament is yet to have its first sitting, but a newly elected MP will get a pay increase before he even takes up the job. These above-inflation increases are more suited to times of prosperity, the absence of which, to a great extent, can be attributed directly to the failed policies of the very persons who will benefit. This is a clear indication of business as usual which places self above all else."
