CTUSAB: Let’s talk

The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) is not supporting Government’s plan to lay off 3 000 workers and rejects the proposal to freeze public workers’ increments for two years.
Instead it wants national dialogue among the Social Partners – labour unions, private sector and Government – to develop a protocol on recovery and growth, similar to the Prices And Incomes Protocol coming out of the 1991 economic crisis.
CTUSAB president Cedric Murrell told a news conference at the Congress’ Beckles Road, St Michael office yesterday that Barbados now faced a bigger challenge than it did in 1991, so the situation required a national effort where each of the Social Partners would bring its mix of growth-targeted approaches.
Though time is short before the lay-offs begin on January 15, Murrell said dialogue must begin toward a plan of recovery and growth where “all players bring to the table their various positions, attributes and those things . . . previously what happened is we had consultation but now we need to move beyond that, beyond serious negotiation to how each of the partners will contribute to what we term national recovery and national transformation”.