BARBADOS’ TWO LARGEST trade unions will join forces to fight against Government’s sending home hundreds of people from the Drainage Division, and the impending severing of thousands more from other sections in the public sector.
Word of this came yesterday from the general secretaries of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) and the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW).
In expressing disappointment at Government’s action, BWU?general secretary Sir Roy Trotman was emphatic that they would be standing alongside the NUPW on this matter.
“I would think that before Government moves ahead to implement anything, it has to hear those alternative suggestions and respond to them. In that case, I am more than disappointed that Government has gone ahead to lay off persons already – some 300 in drainage.
“I will also be making it clear that Denis Clarke, [general secretary] of the NUPW and I, from the BWU, have been in a meeting and we have decided to pool our resources and will be dealing with this hereinafter together,”
Sir Roy told the media yesterday prior to a meeting with Minister of Finance Christopher Sinckler at Government Headquarters.
For his part, Clarke said while the two major unions would be most affected by the cuts, he expected other unions would also get involved.
