It is important for labour negotiators to talk in good faith and to find one another as swiftly as possible so that the economy of the country does not suffer unnecessarily because of lack of productivity as a result of labour strike.
However, it is equally important that workers also do not suffer as a result of drawn out negotiations. This is the message from the Minister of Labour, Mrs Mildred Oliphant as the country enters what has been referred to as the strike season.
“Wage negotiations should not necessarily result in a strikes. Even when a strike is called, at the end of the day the parties have to find a way resolving the outstanding matters around the table,” she said.
“To all negotiatiors, I know that you are busy with the negotiations. I wish that you will find one another (employers and unions) sooner rather than later and come to the agreement as swiftly as possible. We are still reeling from the world economic meltdown and we need to get the country working as smoothly as possible to be able to get the economy to create the jobs we so desperately need,” she said.
