PUBLIC SERVANTS HAVE been praised by Prime Minister Freundel Stuart for their resilience in the face of the economic challenges which have plagued the country for the last ten years.
He made the comments as he addressed the Democratic Labour Party’s 62nd annual conference at the George Street Auditorium yesterday.
Public servants have gone without a wage or salary increase for nine years and their unions have been locked in negotiations with Government for an increase and, more recently, for a coping subsidy in light of the increased National Social Responsibility Levy.
Stuart, who traced Barbados’ economic woes and the measures the ruling party had taken to combat them, said neither the diagnosis of the economic problems nor the prescription had been easy “during this period of sustained downturn”.
“Throughout all of this, the Government could rely on loyalty to the country, constancy of purpose and commitment to duty from the public service of Barbados. I both thank and congratulate public servants for their dedication, their understanding and their resilience during this very testing period,” he said. (HLE)
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