PNP commends public-sector workers

THE OPPOSITION People's National Party (PNP) is commending the public-sector groups and trade unions for working diligently to arrive at a resolution of their protracted wage dispute with the Government.

In a statement yesterday, opposition spokesman on finance, Dr Peter Phillips, said at every stage of the negotiations, the workers and their union leaders have appeared reasonable in their demands and responsible in their actions.

"The PNP is relieved that, finally, the Government appears to have realised that it has an obligation to pay public-sector workers what is due to them," Dr Phillips said.

He added that it would have been helpful if from 2009 the Government had appreciated that the only way forward in dealing with the workers and the sums owed to them, was to have embraced sound and responsible industrial-relations practices, rather than resorting to unilateralism, high-handedness and arrogance.

The public-sector groups and the Government have been at odds over the payment of a negotiated seven per cent increase in salary owed to public servants from 2009.