THE UNION which represents the majority of Barbados’ public sector workers is denying that it was callous in the way it dealt with members’ concerns about potential job losses following the Government’s 2013 Budget presentation.
At a Press conference yesterday to outline the union’s position on the implementation of the budgetary proposals related to public sector jobs, National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) president Walter Maloney said the NUPW needed all the relevant facts before it could take a position.
“The NUPW would have been acting irresponsibly if we had gone out there and started making wild statements without first ascertaining what it is that was happening, how do we proceed and how do we address this situation,” he told the media a day after a meeting with shop stewards and a week after top union officials held discussions with Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and senior civil servants, including the head of the Civil Service and the Chief Personnel Officer.
“We will not be out on some soap box shouting from the rooftops with no kind of information whatsoever and sending out all sorts of misleading statements to further frighten persons who are already concerned about their jobs. We will not be party to that.”