By Robert Hart, Staff ReporterOPPOSITION SENATOR and trade unionist Dwight Nelson has blasted the Ministry of Finance and Planning for what he considers its "imperial and unilateral" implementation of a public sector staff freeze.
Speaking during Friday's sitting of the Senate, Mr. Nelson said the move, announced last week, "flies in the face of the wishes" of Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.
"The Prime Minister has often stressed and has made great emphasis on the process of social dialogue among the social partners," said Senator Nelson, who is also the vice-president of the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions.
He suggested that it was and still is Mr. Patterson's wish that, whenever problems arise or threaten the stability of the social sector, there should be dialogue and discussion.
However, according to Senator Nelson, the manner in which the staff freeze was ordered neglected to adhere to the process of discussion. Stating that the social sector has done its part to stick to the Government's wishes, he said the Finance Ministry's move has "done damage to the process."
"It has set back the process and has given rise to a re-enforcement of a lack of confidence and a lack of trust among the social partners," he added.
The Opposition Senator also questioned the implication of the freeze which was announced via a circular issued to Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments in central Government and all its agencies, statutory bodies, Government companies and executive agencies. "If we took the circular literally what it is saying to us is that those critical areas of the public sector where there is need to improve the national complement, then no Permanent Secretary has the competence to so do," he said.
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Senator Nelson pointed to the need for more staff in the health and education sectors as well as within the judicial system as areas that could suffer as a result of the freeze.
However, in response Senator Burchell Whiteman, Leader of Government Business, pointed out that the Government order did not "close the door" on employment in the public sector.
Last week, it was reported that the Ministry ordered that there should be no creation of new jobs, filling of vacant posts or reclassification or upgrading of existing posts. It was further stated that "if it becomes imperative that a vacancy be filled, the Finance and Planning Ministry must first approve."
