PSU Stands Firm on Revenue Authority Bill Concerns

The Public Service Union (PSU) is responding directly to Prime Minister John Briceño’s recent comment that ‘government sets policy, the union looks after its membership’, saying the remark doesn’t diminish the union’s role in scrutinising legislation that affects workers.

On Friday the Prime Minister told reporters, “I have great respect for the Public Service Union as a whole, but we need to understand something, we ended to make something very clear, government sets policy. The unions look after its membership and when I go into the House I will spell out exactly what we have done to keep the unions in place.”

The PSU said it agrees the government holds responsibility for setting national policy but argued that doesn’t strip the union of its duty to question and publicly flag deficiencies in proposed laws where those deficiencies could affect public officers, workers, or the wider public.

The union reiterated its specific concerns with the proposed Revenue Authority Bill, particularly provisions PSU President Dean Flowers says would give the minister of finance broad authority to appoint and remove the Revenue Authority’s CEO, while leaving the proposed advisory board with comparatively limited power.

The PSU argues any revenue authority needs proper checks and balances, transparency, and institutional independence built in and says concentrating that much appointment and removal power in one political office warrants closer public scrutiny.

“This is not about the Public Service Union attempting to formulate government policy. It is about ensuring that policy decisions are informed by the realities and potential consequences experienced by workers and citizens.”

Government and PSU Trade Blame Over Revenue Authority Readiness