‘THIS GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED'

MAY 8, 2009 

‘THIS GOVERNMENT WILL NOT BE INTIMIDATED'

...says PM GOLDING:

In response to threats of industrial action by some members of the police force and the water commission, Prime Minister Bruce Golding has said  he will not allow the government to be intimidated or threatened.  

He said he had summoned the Commissioner of Police and the Chief of Defense Staff and directed them to make arrangements for any  eventuality; and the Commissioner is to advise him of the steps to be taken if members of the police force should withdraw their service.  

 Mr. Golding declared that whatever steps may need to be taken,  including calling on the people of Jamaica to fill any gap  confronting the country, his government is  going to  lead the country through this rough  passage. Mr. Golding said if there is any individual or any group that feels that their contribution to Jamaica's efforts and struggles at this time   is to make this passage even harder than it is, then that is a decision that they will have to make.  

‘This government is not going to be cowered, is not going to be yielding  and is not going to be genuflecting,    simply because people believe they have a kind of power that can hold the country to ransom. There are some tough challenges that we have to face and it's not going to be easy'.

He repeated his statement in Parliament that the world we are going to see when this global economic challenge is over is not going to be the same. ‘Global demand is not going to get back to where it was'.

 Mr. Golding repeated his call for people to take responsibility. He noted that before the budget was finalized, Cabinet had instructed then Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service,   Dwight Nelson, to indicate to workers in these sections of the public service, that there is no money to pay wage increases. Mr. Golding said, ‘The ability to pay is just not there. There is nothing more that can be cut from the budget'  

The P.M. said he had met with these workers and explained government's position to them.    What some groups have been saying is that while restraint might apply to the rest of the public service, as far as their group is concerned, government must find the money. This, he said, will not work.

Mr. Golding was speaking at the official opening of the rum bulk handling and ageing facility of J. Wray and Nephew's north complex on Spanish Town Road this afternoon. He complimented the company on the   expansion of its operations in the midst of the uncertain economic climate. The expansion was made possible through a 70-million Euro funding programme to assist Caribbean rum producers in developing and exporting their rum to countries of the European Community.