States manual workers at Beau Sejour yesterday, the venue for one of three meetings called to discuss pay issues. (Picture by Daniel Guerin)
PUBLIC sector staff claimed yesterday that they were being asked to pay twice for zero-10 tax reform.
Nearly 400 workers at meetings at Beau Sejour, the Princess Elizabeth Hospital and the Dairy voted unanimously to reject the Public Sector Remuneration Committee’s 3% pay offer.
‘People are disgusted with the offer and feel they are being asked to pay for zero-10 twice,’ said Unite regional industrial organiser Ron Le Cras. ‘We are all paying for zero-10, but others are probably not having deductions from their wages as well.’ Workers are asking for the September RPI figure of 4.9% plus a further 3%.
Mr Le Cras said staff whose wages were already below the poverty line were being offered even less due to States departmental budget cuts, which was fundamentally wrong.
There was, he said, a very strong feeling at the meetings that industrial action should be taken. ‘I think it might happen, but it was decided against because we feel that there is still room for negotiation.’
Public Sector Employees Joint Council staff-side vice-chairman John Mitchell said Mr Le Cras had spent half an hour at Beau Sejour persuading workers not to go on strike. The latter now plans to arrange a meeting with prospective deputies to make them aware of the problems.
‘We want to have public services, but people who work in those public services must have a proper wage and we have to show these people that things have to change,’ he said.
‘We all work for the States of Guernsey and we feel we should be getting paid from a central pot as opposed to satellite departments. It’s either that or departmental budgets need to be increased.’
The PSRC will now be told that the offer had been rejected and a meeting requested.
Nearly 1,000 workers are affected by the deal, including airport, hospital and harbour staff, sewage cart drivers, school caretakers, gardeners and road sweepers.
States Works building section employee Darryl Brown said it was time lower-paid workers stood up for their rights.
‘There are very strong feelings and something needs to be done,’ he said.
‘Strikes are probable, I’d say.’
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4 Article Comments
Good for them!
which is best states P.S.R.C or manual workers
theres only one way to find out
FIGHT!!!
Ron Le Cras is an old school rabble rouser and while he might have a point that maybe the employees should have RPI or something close to it, why should they get a bonus on top of it.
There are many in similar work who have not got any more than RPI.
Everyone has to try to help with this zero 10 situ now we have it and until we see how the land lies, inflation busting deals are a stab in the jugular.
Yes they might help run the island with the services they provide but if it were not for the businesses on the island providing jobs and wealth then there would be no-one here to be provided with their services and they would probably be out of a work anyway.
Everyone has to recognise everyone elses role and we must all work together.
Negotiations are also underway for States clerical workers.
They’ll need to ensure that that increase is attractive, otherwise many staff will be lost to the private sector, where they can pay good money because they are paying zero tax thanks to zero-10.
Ironic?