Yesterday the Barbados Workers Union's general secretary Sir Roy Trotman outlined his organisation's position. Here is the full text.

THE CURRENT SALARIES' adjustments are public servants' adjustments arising from proposals submitted by the trade unions to the Ministry of the Civil Service.

The exercise took a long time; the first two years were spent in training shop floor workers to become competent in the task of job evaluation measurements.

I was not personally involved, but a representative body of competent persons from the unions took part in the exercise from the beginning. To ensure impartiality in the final application, the Ministry of the Civil Service utilised the services of Canadian firm, MNX International Consulting Services.

That final work permitted an application of new salaries to permanent secretaries as well as to some categories of workers below that level.

Permanent secretaries had argued for years that the increased complexity of management made it necessary for them to have a review. Quite naturally the final results were challenged in some categories and some adjustments were made as a result of union representation.

It was always understood that ministers would have adjustments made to maintain their former relationship with permanent secretaries.

My union will not now seek to vary an arrangement for fixing ministers' and Prime Minister's pay if that arrangement has served the nation well for over 25 years. It was put in place to reduce the level of public debate which will always accompany any raise in the earnings of politicians.

They have only themselves to blame, but the reasoning was that since ministers were ultimately responsible, they should receive a differential of about five per cent more than the permanent secretary.

I am not aware that a similar case was made out for backbenchers, senators or other persons outside of the ministerial group. The others are in my view in the same position as those other public servants who did not benefit from the evaluation.

It is regrettable that we are now unaware of the job evaluation exercise, or of the fact that the adjustments would have to get parliamentary approval before the agreement with the unions can be implemented.

I believe we have to honour agreements when/once we reach them.

I have to take this occasion to deplore the slowness with which the Government is approaching the outstanding evaluation of the staff of the Barbados Community College, especially, but also of persons teaching to tertiary levels at Erdiston and at the SJPP.

My organisation considers that these workers should have their exercise applied from the same effective date in 2004 as the other public servants.