UNCsays it’s not the right time
Senior Reporter
kay-marie.fletcher@guardian.co.tt
Although Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her MPs stand to benefit from the Salaries Review Commission (SRC)’s proposed salary increases for politicians, the United National Congress is rejecting the pay hike.
Two Opposition MPs are demanding Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Finance Minister Colm Imbert break their silence on the Government’s stance on the SRC report. Making their positions clear yesterday, Princes Town MP Barry Padarath and Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh shunned the proposed pay hike, especially for Dr Rowley.
The SRC has recommended that the Prime Minister’s salary be increased by $28,167 over what it currently is. The prime minister’s salary is currently $59,680, which was set in 2013 and would rise in two layers, increasing from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2023, to $80,000, and then from October 1, 2023, onward to $87,847.
The report laid in Parliament on November 15 also recommended increases for the President, the Chief Justice, the Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly, the Opposition Leader, MPs, members of the Judiciary, the Police Commissioner, and other senior public servants.
Padarath told Guardian Media, “We hold on to the view that the leader of the Opposition expressed a few months ago that politicians shouldn’t benefit from any SRC recommendations for increases. For politicians, we reject it!
“Why is the Government so silent on the SRC report? What is your position? Are you going to accept or are you going to reject the Salaries Review Commission report?”
Going a step further to explain why it has been rejected by the Opposition, Indarsingh said now was not the right time.
During an Opposition media briefing at UNC’s headquarters in Chaguanas yesterday, Indarsingh said, “Given the hardship, given what is currently prevailing in the public domain and so on, this is not the time.”
Today marks ten days since the report was laid in Parliament, but the Government’s stance remains unknown.
Dr Rowley and Imbert are yet to respond to questions sent by Guardian Media yesterday.
Efforts to contact Acting Prime Minister Stuart Young and Leader of Government Business Camille Robinson-Regis on the matter were also unsuccessful up to late yesterday.
But according to Padarath, their silence speaks volumes.
Padarath added, “The reason why they continue to remain so silent is that they know their polling is showing them, and their public relations handlers are telling them that their deceit and their corruption is fuelling their greed for back pay and higher salary rates in this country, while you are telling public servants to hold strain until 2027.”
The SRC report comes amid an outcry among several unions for public servants to receive wage increases as well. Indarsingh told Guardian Media, Rowley must answer to these workers.
He said, “It is the duty of the PM and the cabinet to tell the citizens and workers what is their position on the report. We made it clear today that the PM must tell the workers at NIB, Port, T&TEC, WASA, NP, and public servants whether they should want their money to sleep out. Whether they will accept the report and pay the back pay before Christmas or the general election … The working and middle classes alone cannot hold strain and ban their bellies and tighten their belts.”
The proposed increases coming out of the SRC report could cost taxpayers over $150 million in back pay. If the report is implemented, the PM will be entitled to receive $1.1 million in back pay. Not too far behind, Persad-Bissessar will be entitled to $960,700 in back pay.
Guardian Media also reached out to Persad-Bissessar for comment but received no response up to late yesterday. But the MPs said the ball is in the Government’s court to say whether the report will move forward.
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