PM treads carefully with UWI lecturers

Prime Minister Patrick Manning said Government must tread carefully in its current stand-off with University of  the West Indies (UWI) lecturers and teachers, when asked if the Ministry of Labour would intervene in settling the negotiations with the UWI lecturers. On Tuesday evening in San Fernando, Manning said Government must be careful of doing something that could have an impact in prejudicing its financial position in another negotiation.

“As you know, the Government is concerned not just with one negotiation, but the whole set of negotiations which are its responsibility,” Manning said. The lecturers and teachers are seeking a 30 percent increase in salaries. Government has offered 15 percent. The matter is currently before a public sector negotiation committee.