LEAD - BARBADOS-EMPLOYMENT-PM meets with senior public servants to discuss employment issues

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC –Prime Minister Freundel Stuart Tuesday held talks with senior public servants amid ongoing reports of retrenchment within the public service as the government comes to grip with a worsening economic climate. At the end of the 90-minute discussion with the head of the Civil Service, Chief Personnel Officer, permanent secretary in the Ministry of the Civil Service and other stakeholders, Prime Minister Stuart gave the assurance that there is no need for alarm. Prior to the talks, Prime Minister Stuart said that his administration, which introduced a number of cost cutting measures in the national budget, last month, was not on a “crusade” to lay off public workers.