Trade unionists got a chance to have their say on the recent Budgetary proposals as they gathered at Government Headquarters yesterday for a meeting with Finance Minister Chris Sinckler.
Throughout this week, the minister met with various private sector organizations including manufacturers and hoteliers to discuss the concerns surrounding the upcoming hike in the National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL), the two percent tax on foreign transactions and an excise tax on diesel and gas.
Heading into yesterday’s meeting were several union heads including General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union Toni Moore and her predecessor Sir Roy Trotman, National Union of Public Workers President Akanni Mcdowall and General Secretary Roslyn Smith as well as President of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union Mary-Ann Redman.
The NUPW has insisted that the eight percent rise in the NSRL was too much for public sector workers to deal with considering they have not had a pay increase in nine years they remained adamant that this should be revised or not industrial action would result, while the BWU has indicated its agreement for there to be “a coping mechanism” introduced for the civil servants.