Discussions over pay cuts to continue

A week after a threatened labour shutdown of the country over workers’ pay cuts in Barbados, one of the island’s main trade unions is meeting on Friday with construction firm Preconco Limited to address the slashing of its staff’s wages.

Yesterday, the Barbados Workers’ Union met with management of Preconco under the chairmanship of Minister of Labour Colin Jordan to try to resolve a dispute over the pay cuts.

Deputy General Secretary of the BWU Dwaine Paul told Barbados TODAY a follow up meeting is scheduled for tomorrow to be again chaired by the minister.

When Paul issued the shutdown warning last Thursday, he contended that Preconco had unilaterally reduced the workers’ pay in contravention of labour legislation, Operations Manager of the company Joshua Read immediately defended the company’s decision.

“The action taken by Preconco in reducing the salaries and wages is neither unlawful nor illegal regardless of whether the employees signed the letter,” Read told Barbados TODAY.

Paul had also said that any industrial would not only be against Preconco, but would include all employers who are guilty of pay cuts.