Chief minister was right to meet me, says union boss

Tuesday 5th August 2008, 1:00PM BST.

Ron Le Cras.

A TRADES UNION leader has defended Chief Minister Lyndon Trott for meeting him in secret.

Unite regional industrial organiser Ron Le Cras said Deputy Trott had got together with him in an effort to stop the strikes of a fortnight ago.

Deputy Trott had been concerned that the island could be brought to a virtual standstill. ‘It wasn’t about the negotiations. He wanted to know the facts about the difficulties at the time,’ said Mr Le Cras.

The meeting is understood to have triggered a fierce confrontation between Deputy Trott and Public-Sector Remuneration Committee member Deputy Barry Brehaut in a corridor at Frossard House. That led to Deputy Brehaut making a formal complaint against the chief minister over his conduct which he later withdrew after Deputy Trott had apologised.