00:00Public servants look to be one step closer to cashing in on their back pay after today's meeting with the PSA and the CPO.
00:09I'm happy to say to the membership of the PSA this afternoon that another promise made is another promise delivered.
00:17We have in our hand delivered by acting CPO Ms. Wendy Barton an offer of 10% which the PSA will be responding to by this evening
00:27because as we have said our main aim is to ensure that we close these negotiations and put some monies in our members' pockets by Christmas and that stands.
00:40Questioned where the funds will come from given that the settlement was not factored into the budget.
00:45This was her response.
00:47The government has made a commitment and I'm quite sure the commitment wasn't made just like that.
00:54The government will deliver. Yes, the offer is on the table and I'm quite sure that the bookers will receive their back pay.
01:02Thomas did not share information as to the details of the offer.
01:07It was only days ago that the CPO's office stated that it was inviting the PSA for a presentation on the state of the economy.
01:15I don't want to get you into that because as I've said the PSA at this point in time while the presentation was done,
01:22I would say that the presentation was done today but the PSA made it clear that we were not there for that.
01:27We were there to receive an offer for our members and we have received the offer.
01:32The presentation was done and I let me take the opportunity to commend the good public officers
01:39that would have worked hard to put together the presentation.
01:42That cannot be ignored.
01:44Work went into it and we commend the public officers that worked on it.
01:48But I wouldn't go further but other than to say we have our 10% offer in hand.
01:55However, Finance Minister Devendranath Tangu was much more reserved in his comments today
02:00when asked when public servants could expect the payment.
02:04Reasonably speaking, when would that fund be available?
02:06Respectfully, I cannot predetermine the outcome and you're asking me to speculate on the outcome
02:10and the timing even of a negotiation.
02:13You should know better.
02:14But we know for a fact that the PSA will accept 10%.
02:17They said that they want it so it's not speculation.
02:19I am not at the very start.
02:21I am not going to jump to conclusions as to what PSA will or will not do.
02:25Just to be clear, 10% is a figure.
02:28But there is a process for which negotiations must take place
02:31which is to disaggregate how that 10% is configured.
02:34So I suspect that there is still going to be a negotiation.
02:39How it ends as I said is based on what the conversation between the CPO and the PSA.
02:44Renasa Cutting, TV6 News.
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