AFFILIATES of the umbrella Trade Union Federation (TUF) are to meet individually to discuss an offer by the government to pay a lump sum to government employees.
The lump sum was proposed in a letter to the TUF from the Secretary of the Government Negotiating Team (GNT).
According to the October 25, 2018 document, the proposed cash payout will cover the period April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2019.
The letter came one day after the GNT and the TUF met to discuss the status of the 2016 – 2019 negotiations.
It has been proposed that the lump sum be paid before Christmas 2018.
The GNT has also proposed the commencement of the 2019-2022 negotiations at the beginning of the year 2019.
The letter to the TUF noted that the GNT Chairman received correspondence from the National Workers Union (NWU) requesting payment of the lump sum to all non-established employees before Christmas this year and the deferment of current negotiations to January 2019.
Once the affiliates meet their membership to obtain feedback on the government’s proposals, the umbrella trade union body is then expected to meet again with the GNT to present a position.
The matter of outstanding payments owed to Civil Servants and ther government employees can become a major bone of contention between the government and its workers ahead of Christmas.
The NWU’s recent call for a lump-sum payment was not a collective position arrived at by the unions or the TUF, of which the NWU is not a member.
With Christmas approaching, the unions are expected to come to a conclusion sooner than later on whether to accept or reject the government’s offer.