Barbados’ largest public sector union says it isn’t interested in any wage-freeze talks now, insisting Government workers should not be asked to make all the sacrifices while the private sector continues to reap the benefits.
The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) contends that if businesses paid their duties and taxes, the recommendation of a wage freeze for the public service – made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week – would not even be on the table.
“The NUPW will not be drawn into any wage-freeze talks at this time,” the union said in a statement.
“Public officers are always targeted during times of economic recession and are expected to carry the nation’s burden while the private sector makes demands on Governments for more and more concessions. The only concessions accorded to public officers during the economic downturn has been job retention – one which the union endorses and would go a step further to ask for job security.”
Acting general secretary Roslyn Smith, who was quoted in the release as saying the IMF’s call was “premature”, told the SUNDAY SUN the NUPW would not be rushing into any wage freeze talks when monies due to Customs, the main revenue-generating agency, were not being collected.
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