Dr Gone–soft can… Not pay

Salary increase foh Teachers and Public Servants was de straw dat broke de camel’s back and finally brought down de NDP Go-venom-mint in 2001.

Wukers were asking foh ah 30 % increase and Arm-in, den Min of Finance, frank and honest as usual, proposed 12 %. Few-illed by de Awe-position led by Dr. Gone-soft, de wukers formed an ODD ting, de Organ-I-say-shun in De-fence ah De-mock-we-see, turned to de streets in protest, literally bringing de country to ah “shut-down”. De rest is history. {{more}}

So it was sweet and easy victory foh Ralph, de ULP, ODD, de Teachers and public servants. Eh hey, but was ah different story when pay day time came, sad to say neither Teachers nor Public Servants got de 30 % increase dey were asking foh; in fact de first blow dat dey got, was ah “salary freeze” dat went on foh ah few years. Dey was ah continued wages struggle between Public Servants/Teachers on one side, and Dr. Gone-soft’s Red ULP on de other side. After de 30 % talk was no longer up foh discussion, forgotten, de humbled teachers asked foh 10 %. Not even dat got past Dr. Gone-soft; he suggested his lucky number Seven, and was Adam-aunt dat his 7 was higher dan de wukers 10. Ah suppose 10=1+0 =1.

So foh de last five years de Public Wukers have not had an increase in salary, wid cost of living as high as it is, our Public Servants are not being unreasonable. Foh over ah year dey asking foh ah “one-off payment” of one months’ salary. De PM is arguing dat dat “one month’s salary” is equal to an 8.5 % salary increase. But 8.5 % to cover de last five years is equal 1.7 % ah year. In real cash, if ah wuker gets $2,000. 00 ah month, dat 1. 7 % increase is equal to $ 34.00 ah month; equally, $17.00 for ah wuker getting ah thousand dollars ah month, small money!

But dis is ah Go-venom-mint dat recently had to borrow money from de NIS to pay de NIS de public wukers outstanding NIS contributions. Dis is unheard of, Lie-Za feels it’s an hysterical first foh any Go-venom-mint.

Now wid elections in another month or two, de Teachers know dat time is running out, so dey meking another desperate attempt to get dis one month’s “One Off”salary, dat Gone-soft say he can…not pay. De Teachers Union has already alerted de membership to prepare foh Ax-shun. Ah guess we will see street protests like in 2001, and like de in-flew-ends-her virus, de Industrial Ax-shun will intensify, and only Arm-in will be left to intervene on de wukers behalf. Seems like Dr. Gone-soft will get back ah dose ah he own medicine! Ole people say “Way yuh sow yuh go reap! What goes around does come right back round meet yuh! Dr. Gone-soft can…not pay, if he does not, den he will be forced to pack up.

READ MARK 14 VS 28

Lie-Za’s contribution to de US$16 million or EC$42 million loan dat de Go-venom-mint passed foh completion ah de Argyle Airport is foh Dr Gone-soft, student of de Bible, who fancies himself ah reincarnation of King David. She wants him to read what Mark Chapter 14 vs 28 when Jesus from whom he claims he gets guy-dance, spoke highly about Ralph. She however quotes in her own words: “If Ralph wants to build an Airport, will he not first sit down and estimate de cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?” Ah keeping out ah dat!

WORSE WEEK EVER

Somebody in de Ministry of Eddy-care-shun sabotage Minister Girl-in big time in Par-liar-mint dis week. She bungled badly wid her reply to Arm-in’s question on dis long and drawn-out debate on Act-red-it-ain-shun foh Community College students doing de Ah-so-she-hate Degree programme. Is either both de Minister and her add-vice-her at de Ministry are frank and honest, or dey don’t overs de process of Act-Red-it-hay-shun and have played right into de hands ah de Awe-position.

And den dey’s de Minister’s reply to Dr Fry-dey’s question bout what assistance is given to Grenadines students traveling daily to de mainland. Again Sis Girl-in was set up or she doesn’t have ah clue as to way going on in her Ministry. Her answer which stated dat Grenadines students all receive $ 350.00 traveling allowance sent de Grenadines people on fire wid phone calls to de Radio Stations denying any such payment. Lie-Za heard ah touch of unmanaged anger in de tone of Girl-in’s reply to Dr Fry-dey, dis is very uncharacteristic of de good lady, she is tired! Word on de street is dat de Ministry is phoning schools to correct dis hysterical wrong. Minister Me-gail is Lie-za’s nominee foh Searchlight’s Midweek pick foh “Worst Week Ever.” And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.