Gov’t, unions deadlocked on per diem talks

Late in June, in response to complaints by the hospitality industry, the government instituted new arrangements to the per diem policy, specifically requiring civil servants to use up to P900 of the allowance for accommodation at licensed establishments and to provide receipts.

Later in the month, after pushback from unions, the government suspended the requirement, thus allowing civil servants to use the per diem freely without accounting for it. ‘The strongest bond of human sympathy outside the family relation should be one uniting working people of all nations and tongues and kindreds’.- Abraham LincolnUntil then, the Council’s operations remain suspended, delaying critical decisions affecting thousands of public sector employees.The current standoff is between the Manual Workers Union on one side and the Six Cooperating Trade Unions, namely BONU, BOPEU, BTU, BDU, BOSETU and…