‘Flawed’

Some workers may get their jobs back – or some financial compensation – but others previously untouched by Government’s programme of sweeping job cuts could be on the breadline following an apparent settlement of a four-week-old row between two trade unions and the National Conservation Commission (NCC).
Prime Minister Freundel Stuart spoke of these prospects yesterday when he announced that there had been flaws in the process through which NCC workers were selected for retrenchment at the end of April and that as early as today the independent Employment Rights Tribunal would be asked to urgently correct them.
However, the Prime Minister pointed out that involvement of the tribunal did not mean fewer NCC workers would end up losing jobs.
“What may happen, . . . depending on the tribunal’s findings and the adjustments that have to be made, is that persons not now affected may be affected but certainly the figures will not change,” he told reporters.
He added: “You can conceive of situations where there may be people who, given their antecedents . . . may decide they want to go back [to work] or they do not want to go back or that they prefer compensation, they want to get on with their lives.
“But they should have a say in that once the tribunal makes its findings and puts those actions to the affected persons.”