Govt, workers in bonus deadlock

A CRUNCH meeting to discuss payment of 2016 bonuses for civil servants ended in a stalemate yesterday after the workers rejected three non-cash offers tabled by the financially-crippled government.

NewsDay gathered that negotiations reached a deadlock after government offered residential stands to its employees in lieu of bonus, or alternatively pay 50% of the bonuses in cash and the balance in non-monetary incentives.

Workers’ union leaders, who attended the meeting, said Treasury indicated it could not raise the full amount citing a severe cash squeeze, which has resulted in staggered salary payments for most civil servants since last year.

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