00:01connect with us on facebook at ccn tv6 trinidad and tobago on x using the handle at tv6 tnt on
00:13instagram hashtag tv6 tnt and via our website www.tv6tnt.com the chief personnel officer
00:24standing firm on the government's offer to settle outstanding wage negotiations with the public
00:29services association telling the union it has another two weeks to decide the proposal would
00:36see 40 percent of salary arrays paid in cash and the remaining 60 percent settled through non-cash
00:42benefits the cpo says the offer is final arguing that after eight years of negotiations the matter
00:49must now be brought to a close here's more eight years three chief personnel officers three psa
00:56presidents and two administrations later negotiations over outstanding salary periods
01:02for the public officers remain unresolved but chief personnel officer commander dr daryl dindial says
01:09the time has come to bring the process to an end the cpo met with the president and executive of
01:15the
01:15public services association on wednesday as discussions continued over the outstanding 2014
01:21to 2016 and 2017 to 2019 bargaining periods at the center of the latest disagreement is the government's
01:30proposal for the payment of arrays the psa has submitted a counter proposal but the cpo says the
01:36government is not moving from the fundamental structure of its offer commanded indial maintains
01:42that the 40 percent cash 60 percent non-cash arrangement is the government's final offer he says the only
01:49variation being made available is an option for the arrays to instead be paid monthly over a three-year
01:55period the cpo is defending the use of non-cash benefits saying they have real financial value
02:02according to commander dindial some of those measures would require the state to forego revenue
02:07as a means of offsetting what is owed to public officers he says the government is attempting to reach
02:13a settlement that is financially sustainable while preserving jobs in the public service the negotiations
02:20have had a particularly long history talks covering the two bargaining periods began eight years ago
02:26and continued through changes in both the country's political administration and the leadership of the
02:32psa and personnel department the cpo says other bargaining units have since settled negotiations
02:38covering corresponding periods leaving the psa as the only outstanding association within the public
02:45service for those years commander dindial says that history is one of the reasons the process now
02:51needs to move towards finalization but the union is not being required to give its answer immediately
02:58the psa has been granted another two weeks to consider the government's final proposal and formally
03:04communicate whether it will accept or reject it and that decision could determine whether one of the
03:10public service's longest-running wage negotiations finally comes to an end or enters yet another round
03:18of industrial relations uncertainty or vishita mori ruparine tv6 news that story takes us to tonight's
03:26people meter we ask should the psa accept the cpo's final back pay offer of 40 percent in cash and
03:3360 percent in benefits to vote text yes or no to the number seven six six four eight eight six
03:40or seven six six four tv6
03:42we'll have the results for you at the end of this newscast
03:47the
