The Public Service Union And the Teachers Union will picket the House of Assembly today Tuesday 29th January 2019.
The Unions in a release said the protest action on January 29th and February 4th coincides with the presentation and debate of the Estimates and Budget on both days.
This decision comes due to the need to bring attention to a number of matters affecting public servants and teachers that have gone unresolved for quite some time, the unions said.
The unions’ said its efforts to meet with the relevant authorities to address pressing issues have been futile.
Correspondence from the unions to the government in this regard have gone without acknowledgement, they noted.
Since January of 2017, the unions said they have sought, through writing, to meet with the government to discuss issues concerning:
deplorable working conditions,
appointments and promotions,
pension reform, and
salary increases.
The main opposition party in St Vincent the NDP called on its supporters last evening to join with the unions protest action in Kingstown.
The government in meetings with other unions offered public servants, 1% for the second half of 2018, 1.5% for 2019 and 2% for 2020.
Leader of the Opposition Hon Godwin Friday said the purported imposition by the Government of a so-called salary increase is an affront to the Union and to the bargaining process.
Protest action begins at 3.00 pm on Tuesday Afternoon.
