Contrary to recent reports in another section of the Press, Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler says there will be no mass retrenchment of workers at the Urban and Rural Development Commissions.
However, delivering a ministerial statement on the economy in parliament today he said Cabinet had approved the rationalization of nine state-owned enterprises, including the UDC and RDC, as well as the National Housing Corporation, National Sports Council, Gymnasium and Kensington Oval Management Inc., Barbados Tourism Investment Inc., Needhams Point Development Inc., Needhams Point Management Inc., and Hotel and Resorts Ltd.
Chris Sinckler
“There will be full consultation with the Social Partners, particularly the workers’ representatives, so as to ensure that we have an orderly implementation of the process.
However, the Minister said he felt obliged to make it clear that “while some level of attrition as is to be expected, contrary to recent media reports, there will be no widespread mass retrenchment of workers in these organizations.
“In addition to these, as would have been indicated by the various Ministers through a series of policy statements, Government has also decided to work more closely with the private sector in forging strategic partnerships to assist in the delivery of particular social and economic services to the public,” the Minister said.
“Some of these, such as the Adopt-A-Km programme on the ABC Highway, route rationalization and sharing in public transport, and the placing of the national oil terminal operations back into the hands of the private sector where they were until 2004, have already started or are at an advanced stage of finalization.
“In the coming months it is Government’s hope to examine the possibilities of similar public-private sector collaboration in Government’s operations in tourism services (through the Caves of Barbados) and in International Transport (Auxiliary services),” he added.