MINISTER of Finance and Economic Affairs, Christopher Sinckler, said yesterday that it is the right of any group or groups to protest government policy they don’t necessarily agree with.
As such, he finds it strange that people are talking about holding a march in pursuit of trying to get consultations with Government, which has had lengthy meetings with the groups and is always open to dialogue.
“The Government of Barbados has always been open to dialogue, review, and revision of government policy where such is appropriate,” the Minister said during an interview
with The Barbados Advocate.
Sinckler’s comments came as four trade unions – the Barbados Workers’ Union, the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), the Barbados Union of Teachers and the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union – look to link up this morning with the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) to stage the march.
The Minister pointed out that with respect to the National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL) and the economy, he met for more than five hours with trade unions. That meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Freundel Stuart.
“Similar meetings were held with private sector groups for more than 20 hours, at which several of the issues were clarified,” the Minister stated.
According to him, “The public records will show that the private sector groups left those meetings, and spoke to the media indicating they had a significant amount of the issues clarified.”
The records will also show, the Minister continued, Charles Herbert of the BPSA telling the media that he Sinckler had told them that Government was pulling together private sector proposals presented at the meeting, into a document on which dialogue will be held daily.
“How is it now after those nice things were said, suddenly Government is not disposed to having dialogue?
“The position of the BPSA and its Chairman are inconsistent and the question has to be asked, ‘Why is this so?’” Minister Sinckler queried.
He also explained that an extensive meeting was held with the unions. Before the meeting started, the Minister remarked, the NUPW suggested that the NSRL should be cut to five per cent and that Government provide it with a coping allowance.
“We presented to the unions, the serious financial challenges Government is facing in financing its operations this year,” the Minister said.
According to him, “In the absence of alternatives for raising financing, to pay debt, and to provide other social service and meeting national security, it would be impossible for Government to lower the NSRL.”
Sinckler said that while Government understood the impact of the tax on workers and the wider community, increases for public servants would have to be done during negotiations.
He said that in response to a suggestion from the unions to the Prime Minister, Government agreed it would have to see how the NSRL performed in the first three months of its operations. If that performance is satisfactory, they could agree to look at the numbers for a pay increase.
“If we cut the levy, Government won’t get enough revenue and it may force the Central Bank of Barbados to have to print more money,” he said, while again dismissing the notion of Government not having dialogue.
Sinckler added that what Government wants to hear is a credible alternative to its policies to get the revenues to meet its obligations,” he added. (JB)