Team Solidarity confident of win

IN light of the current economic crisis, a 10 per cent across the board wage increase for public servants is a reasonable demand.

This was the personal belief shared by Roy Greenidge, the man who has mounted a campaign against the current National Union of Public Workers’ (NUPW) executive.

“Taking the state of the economy at the current, and the recent downgrades that we have had, I personally would start my negotiations at least around 10 per cent,” he stated.

Flanked by other members of ‘Team Solidarity’, he told the media yesterday that if successful in its bid, it will focus on building relationships with government, as well as on negotiation and compromise.

Noting that the topic of salary and wage negotiation would be a top priority, he had earlier pointed out that discussions would have to take place with the general council’s committee to revise the percentage that would be negotiated for, saying it may be higher or lower than the current demand of 23 per cent.

He also stated that his team would be looking at addressing the matters of appointments, highlighting that it was unknown as to how many public servants were still not appointed to their posts.

While the union’s current deputy General Treasurer, Greenidge, claimed that he was never embraced as part of the executive, and suggested that the union had to look at regaining a position of respect in society, he also insisted that, internally, the union’s leaders must take heed of the wants of its membership.

“We need to listen to our members. Yes, they have entrusted authority in us, but at the end of the day, it cannot be all about us. We have to listen to them and at least institute some of the things that they want, and I pledge that that will be different with this team,” he added, while expressing confidence that by tomorrow night, ‘Team Solidarity’ would be victorious. (JMB)