McClean bang on, says Benn

The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) has questioned the accuracy of “inertia” charges that diplomat Dr Leroy McClean has made about Ministry of Agriculture workers.However, Minister of Agriculture Haynesley Benn says he is backing McClean and that NUPW leader Denis Clarke should “know better”.Delivering the weekly Democratic Labour Party (DLP) lecture recently, McClean, the Consul General in Toronto, accused some senior people in the Ministry of Agriculture of not pulling their weight and of trying to frustrate the efforts of the minister.He charged that “there is so much inertia in the Ministry of Agriculture that it is unbelievable”.Clarke said McClean was a good researcher “but it is clear he did not have all the facts and that his position is biased”. Nevertheless, Clarke told the weekend NATION that whatever evidence McClean had of “malingering”, he should produce and let the appropriate authorities deal with any offending Public Service officers.Derelict in duty“You have a Public Service Act that can deal with people being derelict in their duty,” he added.“But I fear that Mr McClean is picking up a 40-inch brush and he is painting all workers with that. “There are good workers and bad workers across the Public Service and even in the private sector.”Benn, however, said Clarke “should know better” than to question criticism of the work habits of Public Service employees. “People get to work when they like, leave when they like,” Benn said. “There is no system of clocking in or checking out. People leave at any time of the day and go on their own personal business.”He admitted, though, that a number of senior officers in his ministry came to work early, worked hard and left late.“However, there are many others who do not come to work in the Public Service at all and earna salary,” he charged.“Denis Clarke should try to find out which officers in the various ministries do not drive a stroke,” Benn remarked.“He would be appalled if he carries out a thorough investigation. If he wants to challenge Ambassador McClean, tell him come and see me. Don’t attack Ambassador McClean.”Benn said local unions should “in the efforts to represent workers, mount regular training programmes in which they talk about punctuality on the job, coming to work with regularity and bring the Productivity Council in to talk about the need to increase productivity”. (TY)