Trade union leaders last night expressed general disappointment that the joint national broadcast by the prime minister and her finance minister did not address some of the crucial economic issues.

However, the union heads saw the address as an improvement on the Government’s communication with the public and its focus on debt issues.

“I think that for the first time at last, there seems to be a real attempt to focus on the country’s debt problems,” said National Workers’ Union (NWU) President Vincent Morrison.

“It is going to be the basis on which the platform for growth will be laid, and everybody will have to make some sacrifice in the process,” Morrison added.

President of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), Senator Kavan Gayle, said he was disappointed about a number of things, including lack of details on debt reduction and public sector rationalisation and the growth strategy.

Both trade unionists were disappointed that neither Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller nor Finance and Planning Minister Dr Peter Phillips addressed the energy issue, which they saw as being among the most critical for economic improvement.

Both welcomed the decision to appoint an economic oversight committee to monitor the performance of the economy. But Senator Gayle felt that it was unfair for the prime minister to be promoting accountability and performance without assessing the performance of her Cabinet.

“We should have an annual assessment of the Cabinet to monitor the performance of Cabinet and junior ministers, and I am calling for that,” Gayle said.

Both trade unionists also expressed disappointment that Simpson Miller and Dr Phillips said nothing about crime.