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Bus strike

Hundreds of commuters were left stranded this morning as bus drivers employed by the state-owned Transport Board called in sick.
General Manager Sandra Forde reported that less than 20 of the more than 100 buses that were due to operate from 4: 30 a.m. Thursday were on the road.
The north of the island was particularly hard hit by the action which is in support of a sick out order issued by this island’s four major trade unions on Tuesday.
“We haven’t had any buses leaving our Speightstown depot or our Mangrove depot so the majority of the buses are leaving Weymouth to more or less traverse the entire island,” Forde said.
“We started with about 100 buses that were ready to move but we have only been able to get about 14 drivers so far,” she told reporters just after 8 a.m.

There was no service to speak of at the Fairchild Street bus terminal this morning.

Yesterday, there was a limited response to the call made by the Barbados Workers’ Union, the National Union of Public Workers, the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union and the Barbados Union of Teachers, with the Bridgetown Port affected by a five-hour work stoppage.
However, the Transport Board has been hardest hit this morning by the sick out which is affecting other Government departments.
Activity at the Princess Alice Terminal was brought to a crawl.

The unions are pressing for a 50 per cent rollback of the National Social Responsibility Levy, which was increased from two to ten per cent on July 1. Failing that, they have called on Government to grant workers a coping subsidy.
However, to date the Freundel Stuart administration has been refusing to budge on those demands.

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View Comments

  • this BWU pull out of the social partnership and put out CTUSAB from the compound at Harmony Hall but would still be able to be associated with a private sector to effect...............all in all not a bad day some problems but the system has not been fully tested. come on Toni UP DE TING!

  • this BWU pull out of the social partnership and put out CTUSAB from the compound at Harmony Hall but would still be able to be associated with a private sector to effect...............all in all not a bad day some problems but the system has not been fully tested. come on Toni UP DE TING!

  • I feel sorry for the riding public but the authority is responsible for these types of actions because they already know the consequences when you don't try to meet union's atlease halfway when negotiations is on the table,stay strong and firm my union brother's and sisters

  • I feel sorry for the riding public but the authority is responsible for these types of actions because they already know the consequences when you don't try to meet union's atlease halfway when negotiations is on the table,stay strong and firm my union brother's and sisters

  • Will calling Elections solved your problems? No. You all need to put your trust in God. Not Man. Man will fail, but Jesus never.

  • Will calling Elections solved your problems? No. You all need to put your trust in God. Not Man. Man will fail, but Jesus never.

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