The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) or as more aptly described, the duncey service, is seeking a whopping 40% increase in salary.
From my recollection, which could be wrong, a police constable (the majority of the service) receives $7000 per month or so. A 40% increase would be (approximately) $2800, bringing them up to $9800 per month. Calculate all 7000 dunceys at this figure (obviously we have corporals, sergeants, inspectors, ACPs etc.), we’d come up with a salary figure of about $82M plus per annum. Again, pointing out the obvious, with the higher ranks, this figure will be higher.
So is a request for 40% reasonable?
I don’t know. Some points to consider:
- Police dunceys aren’t overly qualified.
- Well, the entry requirement is still 3 ‘O’ levels, but some may have 5 or more. Some do try and get degrees. Some actually have degrees. So… can we reasonably expect people like these to work for $7000 a month? Considering a nurse works for the same salary, and has the responsibility for the life or death of a patient (I’ve been told it’s the final responsibility of the doctor in Trinidad which I find a bit amazing, since nurses are actually in charge of the patients’ wellbeing the majority of the time they’re hospitalised), I find that the idea is a bit preposterous.
2. Dunceys have to face a lot of ‘danger’ in that they are exposed to life and death situations.
- Again, I’m a bit sceptical of this. Too many dunceys sit in air conditioned offices and cars and are hardly responsive to calls. We all know the story: “We have no transport!” all too well. We do have some conscientious ones but all indications are that these are the minority. We do know that perhaps the majority are corrupt and intensely so. The argument that a ‘decent’ (read ‘higher’) wage will prevent this is as solid as a fart outa my arse. Now you would are wondering why i said this… well, corruption is not so much based upon ‘need’ as ‘greed’. And we know the stories of frame-ups, beatings that go on till someone confesses… the list is endless really.
Sure, there is a lot more to be said on this topic… but in the end, the arguments will always find that 40% is a whole lot more than the dunceys deserve, I’m sure. After all, it ent White Oak.
3 Comments:
The country isn't producing more and in fact we are producing less so pay increases will have to be realistic. But knowing how trade unions work, I have to admit a 40% wage demand seems moderately high. The real dotish unions will be asking about twice that.
Only unions whose members hold the public to ransom gain anything meaningful... public servants in the Civil Service traditionally get the shortest end of the stick... right up the nether hole.
UK cops asked for an increase for 4 years before getting a 2.65% per year. They are 100x more efficient that our police and they want 40%... dey really dunce in truth
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