After talks to avert a possible public enterprise shutdown fell apart, unions yesterday declared war on the Government, as the Prime Minister stood firm on her stance in relation to the issue of a five percent wage increase ceiling and the possible restart of negotiations from “ground zero”.
Minutes after holding more than three hours of talks at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair, Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) presidentgeneral Ancel Roget told hundreds of trade unionists gathered outside of the building that it is now war with the Government.
“Because of this event, we have to declare war,” he told the crowd comprising members of several unions and others after he emerged from the building at about 6 pm. “We are an army and we are a disciplined army.”
“War! War! War! War!” the crowd chanted in response.
Roget told workers that the talks with the Prime Minister broke down because the Prime Minister could not indicate that she would issue a directive instructing State enterprises (which fall under the remit of boards
and the Finance Ministry) to assure that there is no five percent cap in negotiations. Talks also broke down
after the Prime Minister suggested that negotiations start again from zero percent.
Roget noted the trade unions are not open to further talks unless one pre-condition is fulfilled.
“We clarified before we left exactly what is required which is again the removal of the five percent wage ceiling. Once that is not done it makes no sense to meet with them,” he said. He said the Prime Minister, in frustration, dared unions to go ahead and shut down the country and terminated the meeting after she refused to promise to issue an instruction to all State enterprises that there is no five percent ceiling.
“She said, ‘well gentlemen I cannot give that commitment so shut-down the country’ and she got up and terminated the meeting,” one source said. Roget relayed this detail to the crowd outside.
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