Fall in line - Government remains firm on wage issue

THE GOVERNMENT yesterday shot down a counter-proposal from the Police Federation, which, earlier this week, rejected the administration's latest offer to settle the long-standing wage issue involving a seven per cent increase.

State Minister for Finance and the Public Service Senator Arthur Williams made it clear that no group would be treated more favourably than the other.

In a release yesterday, Senator Williams told Chairman of the Police Federation, Sergeant Raymond Wilson, that the Government "does not propose to treat any group in the public sector differently from what has been agreed to by the other groups".

He contended that there would be "no point in agreeing to any further meetings to discuss the federation's new proposal".

The Government's pointman in wage matters urged Wilson to "speedily consult" with his membership with a view to coming on-board, like other public-sector workers.

Williams was responding to a letter from Wilson. The Police Federation chairman had rejected the Government's proposal to settle the seven per cent wage issue and had submitted a counter-proposal.

The state minister said that based on the fiscal constraints facing the country, the Government had made the best offer that could be made to settle the wage issue.

He said the offer was made to all of the country's public-sector workers and had been accepted by major unions, the Confederation of Trade Unions, and all the other police groups.