SSA workers ‘restless’

Within a day of the end of an industrial relation dispute that threatened a national strike another row was brewing Friday among “restless” Sanitation Service Authority workers.

Just Thursday night, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced the end of a standoff between the security firm G4S and the workers represented by the Barbados Workers Union.

Now the SSA workers’ representative, the National Union of Public Workers warned that protest action could be on the cards if management fails to take action on long-running issues.

“Workers are getting restless so the environment is one that definitely can lead to protest action, NUPW deputy general secretary Wayne Walrond told Barbados TODAY.

Repeated efforts to have meetings convened to have several pressing matters resolved have all came to naught, he declared.  The union “is not happy that management has not made a concerted effort to really sit down with us at the table and deal with these myriad of issues,” he said.

A pay increase for SSA workers, delayed for “years” is the key issue, Walrond said.

Acknowledging the COVID-19 pandemic’s blow to Government revenue, Walrond said while workers firmly believe they should be properly compensated they are prepared to accept at least a Memorandum of Understanding from the Government that could guarantee a pay hike even without a date of implementation.

He said: “The union is being reasonable, these workers are more than reasonable. Given the hazards of the job, they sacrifice a lot.

“They believe that they have a strong case to advance this matter so that even if it could reach a stage of getting an understanding and acceptance that they deserve a higher grade of pay then we can discuss the date of implementation, but we need to have this matter advanced.”

The workers are also dismayed that a promised medical insurance scheme that was approved by management in principle has still not been implemented, said the NUPW leader.

They are also seeking answers on safety and health issues, including protocols and sanitising for COVID-19, recreational facilities and the provision of uniforms which has been outstanding for over six years, he told Barbados TODAY.

Walrond said he hopes to convene an urgent meeting with the SSA management committee and the union’s shop stewards as early as next week to map out the way forward to ensure the workers’ grievances are addressed.

“If these issues continue to be ignored it could escalate into industrial action,” he said. “We remain hopeful that when we meet with the committee and strategise that management would respond with a sense of urgency.”

Other matters on the table for the upcoming talks are claims made by the workers that the authority has bypassed current staff to rehire a number of former workers to take up management posts.

“So they [workers] are questioning if this is a reflection that there is not enough competence in the organisation given the fact that there are people who have the experience, who are qualified and capable of doing the job. That stifling of opportunity could affect morale,” Walrond contended.

He added that workers are also making an appeal for management to show more care and compassion, “whether it be disciplinary matters or difficult situations, you need that sense of care”.

Efforts by Barbados TODAY to reach SSA officials for their response were unsuccessful.

(sandydeane@barbadostoday.bb)