The BLP stands ready to do all that is necessary and legal to replenish the Unemployment Benefit Fund, which will have no money to pay benefits to former workers come the end of this month. Regrettably this Government has continued its habit of carrying institutions to crisis levels before acting.

In addition, the Government was aware for more than two years that its actions to extend the improved Unemployment Benefits for 22 months as well as the establishment of a $10 million training fund would have depleted the resources of the Fund and that it would have to be urgently replenished. This situation was compounded in 2013 once they announced that 3000 workers would be laid off, some of whom would be entitled to Unemployment Benefit.

In the circumstances, given the level of urgency and the capacity to pay these benefits only to the end of January, 2015, we expect that the necessary Supplementary and legal amendments must be brought to Parliament as the first order of business in 2015.

This matter affects the lives of thousands of Barbadians who are not in a position to protect themselves having lost their jobs. Regrettably this is another case of the utter incompetence of this Government and their callous indifference to the plight of the workers of Barbados. It cannot claim to have been taken by surprise that the Unemployment Benefit Fund is broke.