The Na­tion­al Trade Union Cen­tre (Natuc) views with "dis­may and con­ster­na­tion" Labour Min­is­ter Er­rol McLeod's de­scrip­tion of trade union leader, James Lam­bert, as "an ir­rev­o­ca­ble, com­plete fool." "Natuc's dis­ap­point­ment in the min­is­ter's state­ment is height­ened giv­en his knowl­edge of and con­tri­bu­tion to the labour move­ment," Natuc pres­i­dent, Michael An­nisette, said in a re­lease yes­ter­day."

McLeod, a for­mer Oil­fields Work­ers' Trade Union leader, said Lam­bert was an ir­rev­o­ca­ble fool af­ter he (Lam­bert) said the min­is­ter should be re­moved and re­placed by some­one who prop­er­ly rep­re­sents labour. The min­is­ter's com­ments are dis­parag­ing to Lam­bert, first vice-pres­i­dent of Natuc and pres­i­dent of the Na­tion­al Union of Gov­ern­ment and Fed­er­at­ed Work­ers, and the unions he rep­re­sents, An­nisette said.

"The min­is­ter has re­spon­si­bil­i­ty for labour ad­min­is­tra­tion, in­clud­ing me­di­a­tion and con­cil­i­a­tion of dis­putes," the re­lease said.