THE EDITOR: The mistitled public service only officially includes the civil, fire and prison services. The latter two are represented by the Fire Service Association and the Prison Service Association that advocate for their memberships' unique interests and concerns as separate bargaining units.

A similar principle holds for the teaching, police and, to a lesser extent, judicial and legal services, which form part of the general public service, as they also have separate entities to represent their interests and views.

Notably, most if not all of these services were once represented by the same body, before eventually deciding it was more prudent to have their distinct interests and concerns articulated by purpose-built bargaining units, though still remaining part of the wider public sector union family.

Yet, it seems civil servants have not yet waken up to this inevitability, persisting instead to remain lumped into the Public Service Association, which represents the wider public sector views (statutory bodies, local government authorities and state enterprises), partially at the expense of their own, for fear of losing some obscure, non-existent bargaining power. Not to mention the fact that historical evidence has shown that despite their lower membership numbers, those break-off, specialised associations have been better able to represent their member’s interests and concerns. Just ask teachers.

Of course, the propaganda "bargaining power" narrative proliferated by those whose interests it serves, continue to fuel the fear of change, that being a great motivator for inaction. However, the time has come for civil servants to wake up, shake up and put their own association house in order to ensure their interests and concerns are better represented by people of their choosing and not retired, former WASA officials. In other words, civil servants, blessed are the workers that have their own association.

A PHILLIP

Barataria

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