University and Allied Workers Union president, Lambert Brown, speaking at the Jamaica Labour Party's area one council meeting held at the Shortwood Teachers' College on Sunday. - IAN ALLEN/STAF PHOTOGRAPHER
NEW PRESIDENT of the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) Lambert Brown came out swinging against the People's National Party (PNP) Government on Sunday.
The guest speaker at the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) area one meeting held at Shortwood Teachers' College St. Andrew, Mr. Brown charged that 'Labourites' were not doing enough to beat the PNP after 17 years in office.
JLP ELECTION MANUAL
Admitting that he had voted for both parties in the past, including the JLP in 2002, he said a change in government was in the best interests of democracy and Jamaica.
"Like the majority of Jamaicans, I am tired of a government that has grown tired," he said, listing his own complaints, which included corruption, the murder rate, unemployment and nepotism.
But citing a 1980 JLP election manual prepared by current party leader and then General Secretary Bruce Golding, he criticised the party for weak organisation since it won at the polls that year.
Among other things, he said, the party needed to develop better media and public relations skills to win over uncommitted voters and counter what he said was the "downright biased" coverage by news organisations.
"What has happened to that book since 1989? Did you just win and dash it away?" he asked.
CALLS TO TALK SHOWS
He contrasted this with the electoral performance of the PNP: "The bad news is them lose power and they will do everything and anything to stay in power."
Arguing that the PNP groomed supporters to call talk shows, he said the JLP should emulate their example and that the party needed to better talk up the likes of Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie, of whom he said no other mayor is comparable.
The UAWU president had been invited on-stage by area one Chairman Mr. McKenzie to talk about the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) wage agreement between Government and trade unions. Restrictions on public sector wages under the MoU have left the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation unable to fill vacant posts.
SUFFERING UNDER THE POLICY
Mr. Brown spoke only briefly of the MoU but said the Government had "failed miserably" with skills training and that people were suffering under the policy.
"The MoU must be criticised in some aspect in this country. If we had good governance, we would not need an MoU," he said of the agreement which expires at the end of March.
