Former finance minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira believes there is little chance public sector workers will receive their backpay by Christmas.

However, economist Sandra Sookram says, while it is possible, it will depend entirely on the capacity of the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) and the Treasury.

On Friday, acting Chief Personnel Officer Wendy Barton met with Public Services Association (PSA) president Felisha Thomas and members of the executive, along with officials from the Ministry of Finance, at the CPO’s St Clair office, where the union received a written 10% offer covering the 2014–2016 and 2017–2019 bargaining periods.