Acting PM Hyde also engaged on a number of important topics, including the recent revelation that Ministry CEOs were spared of the 10% pay cut implemented earlier this year.
Hyde was the most senior Minister on the Government's negotiating team that was conducting those extended consultations with the Joint Unions, to get them to accept the 10% pay cut.
The negotiating team assured the leadership of the joint unions that the financial pain brought on by the reduction of the wage bill would be shared equally among those who are paid from the public purse.
In today's issue of the Guardian Newspaper, the Opposition's Party Organ, an article called "CEOs Creaming from Empty Coffers" it is reported - with documents - that Valentino Shal, the CEO in the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour & Local Government, received just over $5,400 in retroactive salary. His colleague, Narda Elizabeth Garcia, the CEO in the Prime Minister's Office, received $8,000 under Special Allowance back pay, which is retroactive to April of this year.
While he was on UNCUT, Jules asked Acting Prime Minister Hyde about his views on the exemption of CEOs from the pay cut.
Jules Vasquez - Host
"CEOs received no cut and you were there in good faith, saying I am getting a cut. You're getting a cut. Let's do it together, only to find out one year later, that CEOs aren't getting that cut."
Hon. Cordel Hyde - Deputy Prime Minister/Acting PM
"We can't justify that."
Jules Vasquez
"So, what will happen?"
Hon. Cordel Hyde
"Cabinet will have to look at that and deal with that. We have to share in the pain."
Jules Vasquez
"But, it's the Cab Sec who wrote the Fin Sec."
Hon. Cordel Hyde
"We all have to share in the pain."
Jules Vasquez
"It sounds like you'll be out-voted on this one again, Minister."
Hon. Cordel Hyde
"I will forcefully fight, sir. We all have to share in the pain. We can't have exemptions. We have to share in the pain, and it's instructive too. When there are times of feast, only a handful benefit. And when there's pain, everybody who doesn't have anything has to share in the pain. So, we have to make sure everybody shares in the pain, and then, next time when there's feasting, we have to make sure that everybody benefits."
Jules Vasquez
"So, even though the Cab Sec wrote that directive, you are confident that it will be reversed?"
Hon. Cordel Hyde
"We can't - I don't think we can justify that. We just can't. I know that CEOs will argue that, you know, they've not gotten a pay raise in all those years and all that kind of stuff. But, we gave a firm commitment to the unions and the country that we would all share in the pain, that we would all make the sacrifice. We'll make it together, and we'll rise together. So, we can't. We can't have exemptions. We just can't."
