I have often wondered where on earth the trade unions get their figures for increases from and now after the meeting with the minister of finance we hear: “Well if they got 14 per cent why should we be offered 10 per cent?”
Surely increases should reflect the cost of living and particularly now with the budget about to be presented it is time to have a serious income vs cost of living discussion.
There are so many of our citizens living below the poverty line, yet we hear the unions talking about 14 per cent across the board without blinking, while the cost of living increases by three to five per cent.
The Industrial Court needs to be more involved in determining exactly what is a fair and equitable increase which will keep all of us focused on working harder with the hope that we can be rewarded with adequate compensation and not rely on the gimme-gimme syndrome which has always put our governments under pressure.
Chris Knaggs,
Bayshore, Carenage.