And the ruling PUP has also been trying to leverage public opinion against the unions.
As we've been reporting, the PUP has countering the industrial action by the unions with an aggressive advertising campaign, attacking the credibility of the union leaders.
Today in the budget debate, Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde told his colleagues that he cannot support his party's smear campaign strategy:
Hon. Cordel Hyde - Deputy Prime Minister
"We have to work together. We cannot continue to fight each other. We have to continue meeting and improving on this relationship we've started over the last 2 and a half months. Our issues are not irreconcilable. The Unions are not our enemy. They cannot be. They are our partners; they have to be. They are not a political party. Union members are mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, sons, daughters, friend's cousins, neighbors. I absolutely detest the personal attacks on them. I have nothing but respect for Elena, Ruth, Sharon, Dean, Gerald, Clifford, Brother Luke, and Patrick. We spent many hours in meetings together, some lasting as long as 7 hours. And there never was a dull moment. Those meetings taught me a lot."
