GSD meets business and union reps

The GSD recently met with the Chamber of Commerce to discuss issues of relevance to business and industry.

In the same week the GSD also met with Unite the Union to discuss the union’s 14 Point Manifesto for Change which it recently presented to the Government.

According to the Opposition, the meeting with the Chamber touched on a range of matters from Brexit contingency planning to specific industry related issues.

It was attended to by GSD Leader, Keith Azopardi and Shadow Finance Minister Roy Clinton.

This follows from a meeting that the GSD also held last year with the GFSB on similar matters of concern to business.
Mr Azopardi said: “The discussions with both the Chamber and GFSB has been very helpful to allow a sharing of views on issues that matter to employers and businesses.”

“This forms part of the continuing rounds of meetings that we are holding with social or economic representative groups across Gibraltar and with a view to developing our programme for Government.”

“The GSD is committed to ensuring that Gibraltar is competitive and business friendly so that this encourages economic growth, employment in all sectors and greater prosperity. Our programme for the next election will have exciting ideas to regenerate the economy” said Mr Azopardi.

Meanwhile, the GSD’s meeting with Unite was requested by party Leader Keith Azopardi last week so that the Union could also present their proposals to the Opposition and was attended by Mr Azopardi with MPs Danny Feetham, Edwin Reyes, Roy Clinton and Lawrence Llamas.

The union’s wide-ranging proposals are directed at improving employment terms and conditions for agency and supply workers, better providing supported employment, increasing the quality of employment and removing unfairness and insecurity.
According to the Opposition the meeting is part of the ongoing discussions between the GSD and Unite on issues affecting workers.

The opportunity was also taken by the union to table its ideas on creating a sustainable skills base in Gibraltar.

Mr Azopardi said: “We have been raising issues affecting agency workers for some time. The recent decisions announced by Government have sparked much confusion among workers and require answers.”

“The Union itself has said that it was not consulted on some of these announcements which it was dismayed about understandably.”

“The discussions with Unite will be very helpful to us when considering our own plans on skills and training as well as on improving the security of employment. We have been raising these issues for years and saying that there is a desperate need for real skills and training as well as a new deal for agency workers and an end to the insecurity of workers on permanent supply. We are committed to continue working with UNITE on these issues.”