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| Volume No. 1 Issue No. 37 - Thursday February 7, 2003 |
Striking Public Servants Return to Work
 by Thomson Fontaine
Public Servants in Dominica began returning to work on Thursday after their union agreed to further talks with government and the setting up of a joint task force to look into the union�s demands.
The strike began on Wednesday, February 19 after the Public Service Union (PSU), which represents the workers said it was unhappy with government�s proposals to reduce the monthly salaries of public servants by six percent over the next four months, and the laying off over one hundred workers at the Ministry of Agriculture.
The strike succeeded in closing down the countries airports and seaports as well as severely straining services at local hospitals and the State prison. The monetary cost of the strike action was still been debated, but is sure to run into several hundred thousand dollars.
The strike ended after a committee including Dr. Clarissa Etienne, former Trade Minister Charles Maynard, and Vicar General of the Catholic Church Reginald LaFleur mediated between the PSU and government.
Meanwhile, Director General of Finance Swinburne Lestrade is warning of dire consequences if Dominica fails an International Monetary Fund (IMF) assessment next week. Mr. Lestrade warned that the country stood to lose support from the international community, and much needed financial support if Dominica failed to meet its commitment to reduce on the level of government spending, and failed the IMF�s assessment.
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