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<span style="font-weight: bold">News Source: OTGNR - </span>
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Finance Ministry blasted for banning Christmas office parties ( RJR )...</span>
A senior trade union leader is blasting the Ministry of Finance for its decision to place a ban on the spending of Government funds for Christmas festivities. On Friday RJR News reported that scores of civil servants were left fuming after the Ministry pulled the plug on planned Christmas parties.A Ministry circular directed that no public funds be used for such activities.President of the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) Lambert Brown described the decision as unconscionable.Mr. Brown says there is no need for the Government to have gone ahead with such a directive.The UAWU President says he has attended at least one party organised by a Government agency and is hoping that they will not suffer any sanctions if the funds did not come from their pockets.Mr. Brown suggested that public sector workers should have been sensitised to the directive much earlier."How can a government send out a circular days before Christmas. If they were serious about planning they would have been doing this from about October so people would not be contracting hotels, contracting caterers, contracting music, it is an embarrassment and it's a reflection that the government does not think in advance but operates in a knee jerk situation," Mr. Brown said.On Friday State Minister in the Finance Ministry Senator Arthur Williams said the move was part of Government's cost cutting measure.He said it will save the State millions of dollars.In the meantime, the Finance Ministry has sought to clear the air regarding the issuing of the directive.Senator Williams says it was based on a Cabinet decision.Senator Williams explained that action was taken based on the financial challenges plaguing the Government."A Cabinet decision that no public funds should be spent this year for Christmas parties given the state of the economy and it applies to the entire public sector. It was communicated recently but was decided on some time before," Senator Williams said.
<span style="font-weight: bold"> Finance Ministry blasted for banning Christmas office parties ( RJR )...</span>
A senior trade union leader is blasting the Ministry of Finance for its decision to place a ban on the spending of Government funds for Christmas festivities. On Friday RJR News reported that scores of civil servants were left fuming after the Ministry pulled the plug on planned Christmas parties.A Ministry circular directed that no public funds be used for such activities.President of the University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU) Lambert Brown described the decision as unconscionable.Mr. Brown says there is no need for the Government to have gone ahead with such a directive.The UAWU President says he has attended at least one party organised by a Government agency and is hoping that they will not suffer any sanctions if the funds did not come from their pockets.Mr. Brown suggested that public sector workers should have been sensitised to the directive much earlier."How can a government send out a circular days before Christmas. If they were serious about planning they would have been doing this from about October so people would not be contracting hotels, contracting caterers, contracting music, it is an embarrassment and it's a reflection that the government does not think in advance but operates in a knee jerk situation," Mr. Brown said.On Friday State Minister in the Finance Ministry Senator Arthur Williams said the move was part of Government's cost cutting measure.He said it will save the State millions of dollars.In the meantime, the Finance Ministry has sought to clear the air regarding the issuing of the directive.Senator Williams says it was based on a Cabinet decision.Senator Williams explained that action was taken based on the financial challenges plaguing the Government."A Cabinet decision that no public funds should be spent this year for Christmas parties given the state of the economy and it applies to the entire public sector. It was communicated recently but was decided on some time before," Senator Williams said.