CPSA members urged to work harder to find common ground

Regional public sector workers are in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) attending the 46th Annual Caribbean Public Services Association (CPSA) Conference, which was officially opened on Sunday evening at the Russell’s Auditorium.

This year’s theme: “Building stronger public service union through solidarity and unification” was seen as timely by most union representativeswho gave greetings on behalf of their respective unions.

Speaking on behalf of the Public Service International (PSI) sub-regional secretary Sister Sandra Massiah, said as trade unionists, the value of working together is known: “We know that even when we do not initially agree, we must work harder to find common ground to reach mutual agreements for the benefits of all,” the statement read.{{more}}

She further said the week’s activities would be a testimony to that spirit of unity to which previous reference was made.

Speaking in his capacity as CPSA general secretary, Thomas Letang said this year’s theme was selected cognizant of the many herculean tasks or challenges with which trade unions, in particular public sector uses face.

He encouraged his fellow brothers and sisters to not only be united in dealing with the things that affect them (public servants), but also in their efforts to bring much needed improvement to the public service.

“After all, we should always remember that as public officers, we are being paid to provide a service to the citizenry, the quality and efficiency of public services cannot be compromised by reporting late for work, tardiness on the job and exercising discourtesy to clients,” he said.

He continued; “Very often, we say what is needed, what is required, but we sometimes have to search our own selves and find out where is it that we are going wrong, because our respective countries belong to us; it is not owned by any one person, or any one group; and therefore we have to understand that we owe it to our citizens to provide a service to them.”

He said the regional organization wants to commit itself to working together with the policy makers to make a better public service.

Meanwhile, president of the CPSA Elroy Boucher implored workers to understand that workers’ issues are workers’ issues, not partisan political issues, “and therefore, as workers, we need, there is no if or but, we have to stand with each other.”

The conference will end today after a week of sessions targetting women, men and young people separately and collectively. (API)