CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Police officers and fortnightly paid workers represented by the National Workers Union (NWU) will receive their back pay alongside other public sector employees, despite ongoing negotiations with the government.

In addition, government retirees who cannot benefit from the recently approved salary increases and back pay will receive a one-time EC$500 payment.

This was announced by Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre in a televised address on Tuesday night.

During his address, he acknowledged that discussions between the Government Negotiating Team (GNT) and the Police Welfare Association and the NWU are still in progress. He assured that efforts are being made to resolve the outstanding concerns of those workers’ representatives as soon as possible.

“I’ve instructed the Government Negotiating Team to use their best efforts to ensure that negotiations on issues of concern are resolved in an amicable manner at the earliest possible opportunity,” he said.

He also confirmed that the government has received correspondence from the Trade Union Federation (TUF) and that discussions on the matters raised are ongoing.

The disclosure came just hours after a brief statement from the Office of the Prime Minister confirmed that nearly $80 million would be paid out within the next two days as part of a six per cent tax-free back pay package for public sector workers in grades 1 to 18, covering the period from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2025. The government will spend about $34.5 million on those payments.

“The back pay will be paid to all eligible public officers, fortnightly [paid] employees and pensioners employed during that period,” Pierre said.
“The government will also pay the increased salaries from this month, on February 20, 2025. In addition, eligible statutory bodies will receive an adjustment to the subvention to allow for the processing of back pay and salary increases for their staff.”

Pierre noted that pensioners who retired before April 1, 2022, would not benefit from the triennium increases and back pay. However, he said they would not be left out.

“As a guest of goodwill”, the prime minister said, the government has agreed to grant them a one-time $500 bonus, amounting to $1.5 million in total, which will also be disbursed on February 20.

The GNT and TUF concluded negotiations last December for a 13 per cent salary increase over two consecutive trienniums: six per cent for the 2022-2025 period and an additional seven per cent for 2025-2028.

The Saint Lucia Civil Service Association, the Saint Lucia Fire Service Association, the Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association, the Saint Lucia Nurses Association, the Saint Lucia Teachers Union, and the Vieux Fort Dock and General Workers Union all agreed to the increase under the TUF at that time. Earlier this month, the Bordelais Correctional Officers Association also accepted the government’s wage proposal, Pierre revealed on Tuesday night.

As the government rolls out the payments, the prime minister urged public sector workers to improve workplace productivity for the nation’s overall benefit.

“I expect all public sector workers to make a special effort to improve workplace productivity for the benefit of the people of Saint Lucia,?”

“My administration remains committed to the welfare of all workers and to the overall development of our country,” Pierre said.