Former General Secretary demands urgent Council meeting

Former General Secretary of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) Roslyn Smith has given its president Akanni McDowall an ultimatum.

Smith, 67, is demanding that McDowall calls a meeting of the NUPW National Council by Friday “so the truth can be known” or she would be forced to take action, the extent of which she declined to disclose.

“All I really want him to do is call the meeting of council so the truth can be known. I will be present…and I have given him until Friday this coming week to convene that meeting because it is unfair that council is being kept in the dark,” Smith told Barbados TODAY.

Asked what happens if the meeting is not convened by the deadline, she replied: “Well I will call you and tell you the next step.”

The national council had placed Smith on retirement in March last year after more than 47 years’ service to the union, but the embattled veteran trade unionist is contending it was done while she was hospitalized and she is therefore claiming unfair dismissal.

Smith shocked her successor Delcia Burke when she started turning up for duty last week insisting she is still general secretary, a year and a half after having been retired by the union’s decision-making body.

That surprise move came two days after Barbados TODAY broke the news that Acting General Secretary Burke was retiring at the end of the year and the post would be advertised.

”These people retired me when I was in hospital. I had not retired…and there is a whole case going on with my matter. So now that I am up and back up…I, I, that’s it. I reported to work, that is all I can tell you.”

Smith had been hospitalized for an extended period last year with an undisclosed illness.

When Barbados TODAY reached out to the NUPW president he said he has not received any information – written or verbal – from Smith regarding convening any council meeting.

“All I can tell you is I don’t know what Roslyn is talking about. The president of the NUPW cannot be instructed by members of the public or the general secretary,” McDowall said. He reiterated his intention to ask the executive to offer her any assistance Smith may need with whatever she may be going through at this time.

“What I would say again that I will recommend to the executive that we assist Roslyn with whatever process she might be going through,” McDowall stated.

Smith, whose unfair dismissal case is still before the Labour Department, is claiming close to half million dollars in compensation.

Both McDowall and Acting General Secretary Burke have contended that the union had already taken the decision to retire Smith since March last year and the vacancy would be advertised.

In fact, the president told Barbados TODAY the process for a new full-time leader was well advanced.
(emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)