ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC):
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has dismissed newspaper reports that more than 600 public servants would be dismissed as a result of a decision to outsource government services.
The Sun newspaper reported last week that government plans to make more than 600 workers jobless and that the Skerrit administration had started implementing recommendations by the Inter-national Monetary Fund (IMF) to curb spending. It said the government had so far outsourced its security and janitorial services.
But Skerrit said that while there may be some job losses as a result of the move, it is nothing near the figure suggested by the newspaper.
He said only five people would be affected by the government decision to outsource the services at the Marigot Fisheries complex and the vending operations at the Roseau Fisheries complex.
"Secondly, we would outsource the provision of vector control services (and the) total number that will be affected is eight. The transferring of provision of services provided by sanitary labourers (and) the number of persons affected is 30. The outsourcing of provision road maintenance services (and) the affected number is 62," Skerrit said.
Earlier this month, president of the Public Service Union (DPSU Thomas Letang, expressed concern about government plans to out source various services, a move that could result in placing public sector workers on the unemployment line.
"Once you talking about outsourcing it means that employees are going to be affected because they will be losing their jobs. Their services will be terminated and this will affect the union," Letang said.
Skerrit said it was likely that those workers affected would find re-employment with the new providers.
"It doesn't mean that the State would no longer require sanitary labourers to clean the streets and the gutters. That individual will not necessarily go home he will still be employed doing the same thing and getting the same salary," Skerrit said.
But Letang said that workers would not be guaranteed job protection as a result of the new move by the government.
