In a stark symbol of the unrest swirling about the state of industrial relations, the acting general secretary of the nation’s public workers union heads to retirement while her predecessor claims unfair dismissal.
With just over two weeks to go before National Union of Public Workers’ Acting General Secretary Delcia Burke goes on retirement leave, the union is still mulling a successor.
At the same time, Burke’s predecessor, Roslyn Smith, has now taken the union before the Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT) claiming she was unfairly dismissed as General Secretary.
“I am still general secretary,” Smith told Barbados TODAY this evening as she maintained a stance she has held since being retired over a year and a half ago by the union she served for 47 years.
But Smith declined to discuss the matter any further explaining that it would not be prudent to do so considering the issue was now in the hands of the ERT.
It could not be ascertained when the tribunal will start hearing her case.
Having already publicly stated that Smith’s time for retirement was up and that the NUPW, therefore, decided to part ways, President Akanni McDowall said Monday the matter of her replacement was still with the NUPW’s National Council for a decision.
“The discussion has begun at the level of the National Council and they are continuing…they are continuing to have discussions on it,” McDowall told Barbados TODAY this afternoon.
Asked if the council has set a deadline to conclude its deliberations and select a new General Secretary, the union president replied: “I wouldn’t want to say much on it since those discussions are still being conducted at the level of council. When it is time for us to give a more comprehensive position on the selecting of the general secretary, I think we should do so; but now is not the time.”
Smith, who is in her late 60s, is alleging unfair dismissal and is claiming close to half a million dollars in compensation.
Acting Deputy General Secretary Wayne Walrond has already applied for the General Secretary’s job declaring that he is the best man for the position having served 38 years in the union and even acted on occasions.
Back in July 2019, the NUPW said in a press release that it had declined Smith’s request for a contract extension.
It said: “After careful consideration, the National Council decided that there will be no further extensions of Sister Smith’s contract. The National Council, Executive and Secretariat wish Sister Smith a full recovery and God’s speed during her retirement.”
At the time, Smith was still recovering from an undisclosed illness and had been receiving treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) since December 2018. She had submitted a request for a leave of extension in a letter dated March 15.
McDowall said then a decision on the matter should be referred to the union’s incoming executive committee and national council.
But in a statement in July, the NUPW said Smith was given a previous extension and would now be retiring.
“The NUPW announces that Roslyn Smith has retired after 47 years of service. Sister Smith’s retirement would have commenced on October 1, 2018. National Council decided to grant an extension of her employment to March 31, 2019,” the union stated. (emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)
