THE LONG-AWAITED salary increase for public sector workers and a national consultation on crime are two of the issues the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) would like addressed.
Speaking at a meeting of the full Social Partnership today at Hilton Barbados, CTUSAB president Cedric Murrell said he also hoped a way to tackle issues raised would be agreed on at the meeting’s conclusion.
He said this could be one of the most important meetings of the Social Partnership given Barbados’ “burdensome large fiscal deficit, sluggish foreign exchange earning performance, anaemic growth prospects and challenging societal behaviours”.Â
Murrell pointed out public sector workers had not received a salary increase since 1999 and this had been a burden on them with a rising cost of living and increased taxes.
In the wake of increasingly violent crime, Murrell said it also needed to be addressed soon even though it was not on the day’s agenda.
He called for the convening of a national forum on crime to discuss the issue and chart a way forward on this; as well as all the other issues raised during the day’s deliberations. (SAT)
