Amidst rumours of impending major lay-offs of Government employees, trade union boss Senator Sir Roy Trotman has called on Government, Opposition and all other interested parties to first sit down and discuss it.
“A debate must be had with a certain measure of urgency to deal with this sharing of information to appraise us of what may be dealt with in some form or other within the next few hours,” Sir Roy told yesterday’s meeting of the Senate as it debated the Consolidation Tax Bill 2013.
He said that for months there had been widespread calls for a reduction in the labour force, particularly in the public sector and he was “worried” because he felt the public sector had to set an example by maintaining jobs, as a lead for the private sector to follow.
He suggested the fear of widespread lay-offs was “genuine” and could be viewed as a threat to the 2008 protocols established between Government, the private sector and the labour movement, who had all agreed to embark on a regime of no lay-offs. (GC)
