Minister of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe, addressing drainage workers during today’s meeting.
Drainage workers, now under the aegis of the Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage, have been given the assurance that Government will work assiduously to ensure that their problems are addressed, and their working conditions are of the highest standards.
This assurance came from Minister of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe, this morning, during a closed-door meeting with workers from the Drainage Division, including those being integrated from the Ministry of Public Works.
In frank talks spanning over three hours, workers from across the island raised concerns about working conditions.
In response, Minister Lowe, assured them that their Division was ably headed by professionals who had their best interests at heart.
“We are going to create the best possible conditions for you, and we are going to ensure that a people-centred Government is one that looks after the people,” he underscored.
Meanwhile, the Minister urged the workers to be dedicated, to maintain a good work ethic and to be respectful of persons in authority. On the part of supervisors, he stressed the need for fairness, and giving “an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.
“We are going to run a tight ship where fairness, honesty, respect and consideration for others are hallmarks. I expect this Division to grow, and I am sure that as we grow that some of you at the general worker level will move up to supervisors, but you cannot do so without working,” he warned.
Minister Lowe, who appealed to workers to be patient as the newly–created Division sought to address their niggling concerns, stressed that relationship building and mutual trust were processes which took time.
“We don’t want you to feel disheartened. This is only the first step in getting things done. I will hold this committee accountable for achieving what we have committed to. However, the safety of workers must be our number one priority,” he said.