BWU satisfied with wage deal but says job not done

While pleased with the recent wage agreement brokered for public sector workers, General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) Toni Moore insists more work needs to be done to address outstanding employee grievances.
In a statement issued to the media on Wednesday evening, she said, “while we celebrate the fact that thousands of workers across the island will benefit from this agreement in many ways, one of the most tangible being money in hand for our most vulnerable and a three per cent increase in three weeks, the Barbados Workers’ Union is not patting itself on the back as if the job is done”.
The BWU boss said several other issues tabled by the union must be dealt with in the short term.
“We have tabled grievances for Customs which are seeing some progress, and postal officers’ terms and conditions relating to uniforms and health and safety conditions. These are amongst some other sensitive matters which we anticipate will be addressed in short order, given the mechanism which has been agreed to by the parties for addressing outstanding grievances and for engaging in regular consultation. We hope that this will also avert unnecessary fallout,” Moore stressed.
In addition to disclosing that public sector workers will get a one-off payment of $1 500, a six per cent salary increase over the next two years and a 16 per cent hike in allowances, the Ministry of the Public Service announced on Tuesday that a Grievance Monitoring Committee which will meet monthly to track and resolve public officers’ grievances will be established.
Insisting that the union worked to ensure the wage settlement would not impose further burden on the country, Moore said it represented only part of a long journey towards making the lives of Barbadians “a bit more comfortable”.
“I am satisfied that our strong representation was significant in ensuring the highest outcome possible. What is particularly pleasing is the fact that the agreement now allows government to be in the zone of higher settlement based on the other settlements that we have been securing in the private sector recently with companies who, unlike government, have profit-earning potential. This translates to better outcomes for Barbadians in the future,” Moore said.
(JB)