00:00Speaking at the joint consultation, members of the Cabinet held with Natuck and JTOM,
00:05Public Services Association President Felicia Thomas recalled the campaign promise made by the UNC and its Coalition of Interests
00:13before they won the 2025 general election.
00:17The period that we are talking about that starts with no less than 10% is the period 14 to 16, 17 to 19,
00:28the very same period that we rejected the offer, 4%.
00:32A reference to an offer made by the former PNM administration to public servants for collective bargaining periods from 2014 to 2019.
00:45So, as I've said in the past and I'll continue to say, we look forward to no later than this budget, September, October,
00:54where workers can finally see that 10% offer placed on the table so that we could recommence negotiations at 10%.
01:04The PSA's president was very clear in her message to the new UNC-led government.
01:10At the head table was the former president of the PSA, who is now the Minister of Labour, Leroy Batiste.
01:17We just reflected our actions and you know that we mean business as it relates to this, our commitment given to workers.
01:29They include among them, the Prime Minister have openly said, we will find a way to resolve all the negotiation as promised.
01:41The Labour Minister spoke after Planning and Economic Affairs Minister, Dr. Kennedy Sawat Singh.
01:46A response to the Honourable President of the PSA, let me say quite categorically, everything we put into the budget, we intend to deliver.
01:58In the way in which we put it, in the manner in which we put it, and to everything we subscribe to in that budget.
02:06Dr. Sawat Singh is also a minister in the Ministry of Finance.
02:09So it is the intention of the Honourable Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance to fulfill our promise of that payment for the collective bargaining period 2013-2015, 2014-2017-2019.
02:28So rest assured that we are working extremely hard to make sure and to have that done.
02:36The Planning Minister then made an apparent reference to the government's next financial year, which begins on October 1st.
02:42As bad as last year, budget is next year's budget is not going to be any better.
02:47Next year's budget is going to be just as challenging.
02:49In fact, our revenue position might be even more impaired.
02:55But which is why we need to find alternative ways of funding.
02:59The new UNC-led government is set to bring its budget for debate soon after the end of the Parliament's July-August recess.
03:08Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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