PM says gov’t not proposing pay cuts

CASTRIES (CMC):

Prime Minister Allen Chastanet says his administration is not proposing any form of pay cuts to public servants as it tries to manage the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic in the island.

“The government is honouring its collective agreement,” Chastanet told reporters outside parliament yesterday morning.

“There’s no cut that is being proposed. We are paying the civil servants their salaries. We are paying the civil servants, part in cash and part in bonds,” he said.

Chastanet also disclosed that a decision was made after a meeting with the unions late Monday, where it was decided to push back pay that was due on April 23 to April 30 in order to “complete the decision”.

He declared that the government does not want to impose anything on the unions but desires a collective decision.

“If in any way what the government has proposed is perceived by anyone as biased or selective, we are prepared to amend wherever possible,” the prime minister said.

“What we have realised for some time, starting back in March, where I have been making pronouncements to the general public and everyone, is we need to get into the idea of rationing,” Chastanet stated.

He said the same way that anyone else would ration, the government has to ration cash.

He said that more than 30,000 St Lucians have lost their jobs, with “nobody to appeal to”.