The British High Commissioner, H. E. Mr Fraser Wilson, on Friday said that strikes should generally not take place and ought to be the very last resort in labour disputes.

Mr Fraser was speaking in his office just before he presented a ticket to the president of Seychelles National Trade Union (SNTU), Mr Bryan Julie, who leaves for UK on Saturday January 11 to familiarise himself with how trade unions work in UK.

"A strike would indicate that the healthy kind of dialogue that should be facilitated by effective trade unions has failed," the high commissioner, who told Seychelles Nation that he was a member of his country's civil servants' union, said.

Saying that the image associating trade unions with strikes was wrong, Mr Fraser explained that good industrial relations between employers and employees were important and could forestall the breaking up of a company.

The high commissioner said the unions made dialogue between the hirer and the hired easier, and could "take the sting out of a relationship."

He said the high commission had sponsored Mr Julie's imminent visit because the mission recognised the importance of employer/employee relations.

"The visit will enable Mr Julie to meet trade unionists and others involved in the industrial relations field, including representatives of the Health and Safety Executive and the Employment Appeal Tribunal," the top diplomat said, adding that Mr Julie would be accompanied by a member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office throughout his one-week trip.

After expressing his gratitude to the high commission for the sponsorship, Mr Julie told Nation that he was looking forward to learning during the trip.

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