By: Lofton Brooks – Concerned Public Servant
TURKS AND CAICOS – William Shakespeare asked a similar question but this one is posed to public servants, do we or don’t we revitalise our Public Service Association (P.S.A)?
History has shown in the TCI that when it’s time to argue for a pay increase, public servants would band together and pressure the Political Directorate with desired results achieved because of it.
History also shows that when a subset of the Public Service band together but in smaller numbers for equally important issues, the results can be drastically different. This was seen in the failed Teachers Strike in the 1990’s whereby some ‘Defectors’ were rewarded with promotions and some ‘Dissidents’ were punished with a pay cut. So what has this taught us?
Currently efforts are taking shape to commence a ‘Right-Sizing’ exercise of the Public Service that will no doubt see persons made redundant. The Public Service is some 2,500 persons strong but has no representation to ensure that these persons are treated fairly and are afforded all that is promised.
I draw a reference to the closure of TCI New Media, whereby persons who were released were ensured that sessions would be conducted to assist them in improving their skill sets to find a new job in these tough economic times. To date, it is my understanding that no such sessions have taken place with those former staffers.
It is quite clear that in the current economic state in the TCI and the expressed goal of TCIG to reduce the overall emoluments of public servants to 45% of the annual revenue, that there is no doubt that the ‘Right-Sizing’ exercise will go full steam ahead. The question I ask is will we, as a body, have a voice in the process?
Case in point, at the Grand Turk Public Service meeting after the 10% pay cut announcement, Mr. Derek ‘Pop’ Been made a brief presentation outlining an alternative plan to the pay cut. Simply put, it was to share the burden across the whole of the TCI by a 3% wage deduction on all workers in the TCI with a justification that all residents enjoy Public Services. Had our P.S.A. been functional, this idea would have been debated and used or discarded based on its merits.
Often we hear about other country’s public servants taking pay cuts in our region and around the world, but right now in the Cayman Islands the Premier is in consultation with the Caymanian P.S.A. about the size of a potential pay cut. It is worth noting that there is a body for this consultation to take place with, in the Cayman Islands. We do ourselves a disservice if only a few bright financial minds focusing on the bottom line are allowed at the decision making table for the majority of us without what seems fully studying the full socioeconomic implications associated with each potential decision. A wise man or woman measures ten times and cuts once, rather than measure once and cut ten times.
It boils down to accountability and who is going to keep the powers that be accountable. So I am clear, this does not only hold true for this interim administration, but for any future administration once our Democracy is restored. It is well documented that persons have been shuffled throughout the Public Service without warrant, with nothing being said for fear of being labelled a ‘Trouble Maker’. Or simply, it just did not affect us directly. We must all understand that what affects one person directly, affects us all indirectly.
Also, it is a way to keep ourselves more accountable as we build towards Public Service Excellence. We too must not allow substandard performances throughout the Public Service to be acceptable, for a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. There should be no reason the brightest minds in the country should opt for a career in the Private Sector because of the stigma attached to the Public Service. The P.S.A. can lead the way in making that change.
Finally, apart from the task at hand, the P.S.A has many other benefits to offer, specifically provision of targeted training activities for its members from funds raised, let alone the social events of the past that fostered a bonding and cohesiveness not always seen in the Public Service today. So what should we do? The need is clearly there, We Must Organize.
