Should PM and Minister of Finance John Briceño be Part of Union Talks?

Sharon Frazer

Unions leaders have been calling on the Prime Minister to come to the negotiating table, but would his direct participation make a difference to the outcome? Those ministers who are participating do give him updates, but one union leader says this is not enough.

Sharon Frazer, President, A.P.S.S.M.

“This is a national issue and who is best to come out to deal with a national issue, a crisis that we are in than the leader of the country. I don’t believe we have to.”

Marleni Cuellar

“Why do you want to speak directly to the Prime Minister?”

Sharon Frazer

“Well the situation is that he is the Minister of Finance. Let us start right there. He is in fact the controller of the public persona. He is the person we feel that, not that I am discrediting any of those four ministers who have met with us as we always said our meetings have been respectful, they have been cordial, they have been understanding, that is there. But one must understand that we have to go back to each of us has to go back to who we are representing. But at the end of the day, I’ve said, if I am the owner of a business and there are things happening in my business, I need to make myself available to see what the persons in that business are saying and how it is that I can correct it. It is not me who said I will meet with the union people; the Prime Minister said that in a past interview that they had with him. He will sit down with the unions. I am not saying, I don’t feel at all offended that he has not come. I just find it strange that with everything that is going on, not once have he said let me hear it for myself.”