DPSU threatens protest action if a reply is not received in seven days from Govt

Dominica: Angry public officers have given the Government “seven days to reply to them or face protest action,” as they assembled in mass numbers at the Public Service Union headquarters on Valley Road, where they passed two resolutions dealing with “salary negotiation IRO 2009-2012,” and “productivity in the public service”, according to a Dominica NewsOnline report.

Public officers are very angry at a statement made by government productivity consultant Parry Bellot that 80% of the public sector is not pulling their weight.

Former president of the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) Mervin Anthony who addressed the gathering called on public officers to “speak out, be brave…and not afraid and get ready for action.”

The DNO report said that the members unanimously passed two resolutions calling on Government to bring a speedy end to salary negotiations and mandating the “executive committee of the DPSU to utilize all available resources to mobilize the general membership to participate in any action which may be deemed necessary to bring closure to negotiations in respect of triennium 2009-2012 by June 30, 2012.”

The second resolution calls on the union to express in writing to the Government of Dominica on behalf of its members “profoundest outrage and displeasure over that statement and demand that the Government of Dominica disassociates itself from the statement as acknowledgement that it does not reflect Government’s position and seek a retraction from Parry Bellot”.

The Union was asked to consolidate any intended protest action to deal with that matter and matters related to salary negotiation IRO 2009-2012 in the event that it does not receive a favourable response from the Government within seven working days following receipt of its letter, the DNO report stated.