‘No digging out’ of public sector workers — Hayles

BY HORACE HINES Observer West reporter

Thursday, January 19, 2012

LUCEA, Hanover — NEWLY appointed Junior Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Ian Hayles has assured workers at the Hanover branch of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) that the People's National Party's administration will not victimise public sector workers because of their political affiliation.

"You would have heard before the last election that there is a level of digging out people within all sectors of the civil service. But rest assured that the vision of my minister and of the prime minister is that we don't believe in digging out people. As long as you do your work, and as long as you work in ensuring that this country moves forward we are not going to dig out anyone," Hayles explained.

He was ostensibly making reference to comments attributed to the Jamaica Labour Party's Daryl Vaz who reportedly said during the recent election campaign, that when his party returns to power, he would 'dig out' public sector workers who were blocking the work of the government.

Hayles argued that the Portia Simpson Miller led- Government would be striving to form an alliance with the workers going forward.

"So in essence, what I am saying is that you won't see the level of arrogance from this Government; you will see and you will find a partnership with this administration going forward," he said.

The agriculture and fisheries junior minister, who is also the member of Parliament for Western Hanover, was addressing employees at the offices of the RADA Hanover branch last Friday.

He charged the RADA extension officers to encourage farmers to adopt good farming practices and to ensure that measures are put in place to avoid glut on the market.

"The farmers might farm this year and everybody farm the same thing. Well one of the things we have to start looking at is to educate the farmers in terms of how you do crop rotation," he argued.

Hayles also informed the RADA employees that an audit is to commence shortly in an effort to assess the needs within the agency and "how best we can help the small farmers".