In Puerto Rico: The Government has started sacking public sector employees

The Puerto Rican government in accomplishing its plans to dismiss 30,000-45,000 public sector employees and suspend public sector collective bargaining rights, has started sacking public sector employees. Public Services International (PSI) is opposing plans by the Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, to dismiss tens of thousands of public sector workers as part of a plan to reduce Puerto Rico 's huge budget deficit. The dismissals begun on July 2009, the start of the new fiscal year. Legislation adopted in March also suspended all public sector collective agreements as well as agreements in employee manuals, contracts, circulars, etc. referring to payment plans, grade classification schemes, training and development. Whilst PSI recognises the need for bold measures to solve Puerto Rico 's economic crisis, particularly in the context of the global financial and economic crisis, PSI insists that workers should not be made to pay the price for a crisis they did not create. PSI and its affiliates in Puerto Rico believe that the fiscal austerity measures adopted by the Fortuño Government can only lead to higher unemployment, further contraction of the economy, greater fiscal shortfall and debt, and increased migration.