Unite said deputies were being asked to consider fundamental changes without seeing underlying modelling in support of them and claimed that the need to protect individuals' data should not stop deputies from properly scrutinising the proposals.
‘We recognise that the States faces significant financial pressures and that difficult decisions regarding taxation and public finances may be necessary,’ said Unite Guernsey regional officer Laura Bichard.
‘However, those decisions must be based on robust, current and transparent evidence, and must not disproportionately place the burden on those who are already struggling to make ends meet.’
The modelling now includes the 2023/24 Household Expenditure Survey.
The union said the resulting downward revision in estimated GST revenue from household spending showed how sensitive the calculations were to assumptions.
Ms Bichard said this raised questions about how accurately the model reflected current household circumstances, ‘particularly given the significant price increases of housing, food, energy and other essential living costs’.
‘This updated data cannot be assumed to accurately represent the financial pressures facing the community in 2026,’ she said.
The union said much of a lower-paid worker’s income was already committed to essentials, leaving little scope to cut back.
‘We believe Guernsey needs a tax system that is sustainable, but it must also be fair, progressive and capable of being justified to the people who will ultimately pay for it,’ said Ms Bichard.
‘Guernsey’s lowest-paid workers, many being directly employed by the States themselves, should not become the easiest source of additional revenue simply because they have the least ability to avoid the tax.’
The States' tax debate resumes next week, and Unite urged deputies to make sure they had current, comprehensive and transparent evidence before making decisions. It said that would be hard to achieve without seeing the modelling and understanding its assumptions, making it even more important to consider alternative proposals thoroughly.
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