Government has given the green light for the commencement of discussions on wages and salary negotiations and allowances for public sector employees.
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, made this announcement during a wide ranging hybrid press conference from Ilaro Court this afternoon.
“I have given instructions that that should happen before the end of September. And I am hoping therefore, that we can see that process put properly on the table so that persons on behalf of the labuor unions and those on behalf of Government can sit down and appropriately assess where we are and what the future is,” she stated.
Noting that this was a follow-up to a commitment made in March during the budget, Ms. Mottley said it was important for the process to start.
However, she stressed that Government was closely monitoring what was happening, particularly as it related to measures put in place to ease the cost of living.
“I expect that the Department of Commerce shall be publishing soon, a sample of some of the prices that they have been able to be tracking and to recognise that in some instances…, the majority of people are working with the prices that have been recommended. [But], there are a few instances, two or three in some commodities, where people are still charging more. But I suppose people will balance those higher charges with convenience and determine whether that is a price that they are prepared to pay…,” she explained.