Opposition Senator not happy with Govt treatment

General Secretary of the Unity Workers’ Union Senator Caswell Franklyn will not be attending any more meetings of the Social Partnership unless Government issues an apology to him.

The outspoken Senator made his stance clear this morning, saying he felt disrespected by Government’s decision not to invite him to previous meetings because he was opposed to their proposals.

During a Zoom meeting hosted by the People’s Party for Democracy and Development (PdP) this morning, Franklyn suggested that his presence had not been requested at those meetings because he was not a ‘yes man’.

He said after “sharing his thoughts” and objecting to Government’s initial suggestion of forced savings for public servants he was not invited to the subsequent meeting to discuss the proposal.

However, while he admitted that he had been invited to a follow-up meeting, Franklyn said he would not allow Government to dictate when he would be allowed to speak.

A meeting of the Social Partnership which included officials from the Ministry of Finance and trade union officials took place yesterday where a proposed National Meeting Plan was discussed.

Franklyn said while he had no issues praising Government, he was also prepared to criticize when necessary.

“I shared my thoughts on that and having shared my thoughts they didn’t invite me to the meeting the first time around…When the first meeting came up to discuss the matter of forced savings they didn’t invite me because they only wanted compliant voices in the room and they were assured that my voice would not be compliant so they didn’t invite me. They subsequently invited me after I made a little bit of noise and they sent me an invitation.

“But they have to send me an apology first. I will not subject myself to that kind of disrespect. They invite me to meetings when they are ready and they want to hear me agreeing with them, but once they think I am disagreeing they are not inviting me. I am not going back again unless they apologize,” Franklyn maintained. randybennett@barbadostoday.bb