Government should draft a “multiyear deficit reduction strategy” in tandem with the labour movement, Bermuda Public Services Union president Jason Hayward has suggested.

The BPSU remains opposed to privatising, outsourcing and mutualising in the public sector, which the union maintains will cause job losses, and a drop in wages, salaries and benefits.

The remarks came in this month’s issue of the BPSU publication Feedback.

Mr Hayward said the union recognised that Government finances were “in a horrible situation” — adding that the BPSU also supported reforms that would modernise public services, recruiting and retaining the best public servants while improving customer service and accountability.

However, Mr Hayward’s statement also warned that if Government “chooses to move ahead with its agenda of privatisation, outsourcing and mutualisation, then we will move forward with ours”.