Mostly temporary workers, but not more than 1,500 people across the public sector, will be laid off over the next few weeks, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley disclosed in an address to the nation yesterday.
“We give the country the assurance that while we do not have the exact number because we are following process, rather than arithmetical deductions, we know that it is unlikely to be more than 1,500 people over the course of the next few weeks. But, regrettably, one is too many,” she said, while detailing a wide-ranging plan to cushion the fallout.
The cuts will affect workers in central government and government entities.
Acknowledging that it was a painful exercise, the Prime Minister said the layoffs would be underpinned by the last in, first out principle and workers are in line to receive full packages.
According to Barbados Today, Prime Minister Mottley noted that Cabinet had also agreed to ensure that dislocated workers would go home with their payments in hand.
She however attempted to strike a positive note, announcing that Government would be establishing a household mitigation unit to assist the retrenched workers.
