Teachers reject government’s latest wage offer

ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC):

The Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT) says its members have rejected the latest salary offer from the government and is preparing a new proposal to be submitted to the government’s negotiating team (GNT).

DAT president, Mervin Alexander, said that at the last meeting with the GNT, their offer for the 2024 to 2027 period was three per cent in the first year, two per cent the following year and three per cent in the third year.

He said that the DAT and the GNT are in negotiations for two trienniums and that the government team had proposed “for the first year of the first triennium, a freeze, second year, a freezer and the third year because of the reclassification” when most teachers got between 11 and 47 per cent adjustments on their salaries, there are some teachers who did not get anything, or it as minimal.

“So they are saying those who got minimal they are willing to give 20 per cent as a one-off based on the December salary of 2023,” Alexander said.

He said that the GNT’s position were brought to the membership of the union “and it was rejected.

“They gave us suggestions to go back to the negotiating table and we now have to submit our response to the government, and that we are hoping to do this week,” Alexander said.