DESPITE RECENT utterances, Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development Donville Inniss says he has great respect for the trade unions and their position on the proposed lay-offs in the public service.
He said that while he did not believe the measures were viable, he still respected their actions.
“For whatever condemnation or criticism I may have of the unions from time to time, I commend them for putting forward some alternatives,” said the minister, who was the featured speaker last Sunday at a Democratic Labour Party Christ Church South branch meeting at St Lawrence Primary School.
“I believe most of them are not doable but I must respect the fact that at least they put forward something,” he added.
Furthermore, said Inniss, respect was also due to Government for sitting down with the unions and discussing their proposals.
“We haven’t said we are changing our course. We haven’t said we are not pursuing the direction we have agreed to in principle, but at least we have been mature enough to say, ‘Okay, you are a stakeholder; you have ideas so let all ideas contend’,” he said. (CA)
