 Government workers have started to receive salaries and wages for December.
This signals the Gaston Browne administration’s promise to deliver on its financial obligation to government workers by the middle of this month.
On Wednesday, the accounts of hundreds of public sector workers were credited by their banks and other financial institutions.
Government pensioners, meanwhile, began receiving their December emoluments on Tuesday this week.
At Wednesday’s cabinet meeting, the executive body reiterated its decision to ensure that all wages, salaries, pension payments and social security recipients will be paid in full by Friday 16th December 2022.
On 30th November, the cabinet ensured that wages, salaries, pension and social security payments were delivered in full for that calendar month.
Meanwhile, a government spokesman said negotiations with several trade unions continue.
These negotiations will determine the percentage increase that government workers will receive for the period 2018, 2019 and 2022.
The government paid a five percent increase in 2018 to those entitled, but owes increases to workers for 2019 and 2020.
“Since negotiations will not be completed by 2022, the government is prepared to pay, on or before December 31, 2022, a back pay of one month’s salary and wages to all government employees that are eligible.
“The negotiations will continue in the new year so that a precise amount to be paid to each and every government employee can be determined,” the spokesman stated.
The government expressed the hope that the negotiations would have been completed in time to make the outstanding payments along with December salaries, wages and back pay before the end of this month.
Also at this week’s cabinet meeting, the Minister of Health put forward a proposal to provide the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) an amount of $200,000.00 to cover their outstanding commitments to contracted garbage truck operators and other vendors.
This proposal was accepted by the cabinet who agreed that before the Christmas holidays, truckers and others will receive a portion of the money owed to them.
