While Mayans down south are concerned over losing land, the PSU members fear losing their jobs. UDP Party Leader Patrick Faber said he was surprised when he heard on the news that the PSU had invited him to a sit down because - to his knowledge - he has received no such invitation. The PSU was planning to air their concerns about the prospect of retrenchment after elections - especially because government is currently borrowing to pay wages - which is unsustainable.
Faber assured them that retrenchment is not in the foreseeable future.
Patrick Faber, UDP Party Leader
"I am only watching the news that they are saying that they have tried to meet with me. I have no knowledge of that, nobody… I can't say that they have not sent a letter to my office, I don't know to be honest but I have not been in my office I have been out campaigning but I have never intentionally not responded to a request coming from the PSU for a meeting, it is a very hectic and busy time for me as the leader of our party and I am, my day is really really packed. So, I can't respond to everybody who wants a meeting right about now."
Reporter:
"One of the complaints they have made or one of the comments they have made is the issue of the signing of contracts when it is said that the ministry of finance has said right now it is cost cutting measures and there is a lot of signing of big contracts, how do you respond to this, is there any truth to this?"
Patrick Faber, UDP Party Leader
"Well I don't know the specifics, I can only go by what you are saying but one of the issues that the unions complained about when they sat with the government to try to ensure that these cost cutting measures came into effect is that we would not renew any of these contracts and in fact you have heard some of the school wardens who were on contracts could not renew their contracts and they made it known that I am firing school wardens, it is not a result of me, it is a result of these kinds of agreements made so, I am not sure what that specific accusation that you are talking about is saying but I can tell you that the government has held off from doing some very needed signing, some key positions people have not been able to get their contracts renewed, some very lower level positions but still very important positions have not been able to be renewed as a result of this."
Reporter:
"Sir, they are also concerned about the prospect of retrenchment after elections."
Patrick Faber, UDP Party Leader
"Well, I,..you are talking to a member of the UDP government who has made it absolutely clear that we are not going to try to retrench anybody in fact you have seen our efforts thus far to ensure that all our public servants or police officers and security force officers maintain that full salary that they are doing that and it is my intention to continue that as long as we can."
According to Faber, if it does get to that point, all persons involved will have to chart a way forward together.
