Prime Minister Stuart Young has congratulated the trade unions that recently accepted the 5% wage increase – as he said it is in line with what the country can afford.
Speaking at a People’s National Movement meeting in Sangre Grande on Thursday, he stressed that the 10 to 14 per cent increase being sought by some unions would bankrupt the country.
Mr. Young said the unions representing the police, Defence Force, and teachers have already accepted the 5% offer.
“I want to congratulate Amalgamated Trade Union for accepting the 5% for their workers after they already both accepted the 4%. I congratulate the Contractor and General Workers Trade Union for today signing an agreement for their workers outstanding since 2013.”
Prime Minister Young shared that other unions have seen the importance of settling their outstanding negotiations as he added that the Trinidad and Tobago Airline Pilots Association (TTALPA) also signed a deal with CAL to accept a 4% wage increase.
“BIGWU, another union we met with quietly, today signed with First Citizens bank, a bank that makes hundreds of millions of dollars in net profit, hundreds of millions of net profit, so they could afford – you know what they signed at today? 5.5% and that shows you that what the government is offering public servants is fair.”