Unity Workers’ Union to appeal firing

Several employees at Purity Bakeries briefly walked off the job this morning in protest over the firing of a colleague.

However, those workers, who are represented by the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) quickly returned to their posts after being informed that another union was representing the affected worker.

In a statement, the BWU’s Deputy Director of Industrial Relations, Dionne Bowen said the employee in question had been disciplined by management and had sought alternate representation.

“In December, an issue involving an employee of Purity Bakeries Limited was being investigated and subsequently became a disciplinary matter. As occurs from time to time, the employee in question, who is still a member of the BWU, decided to exercise his right to alternate representation and for over a month the BWU has not been treating to the matter,” Bowen pointed out.

“This morning, after being informed that the matter was no longer being handled by the BWU, the colleagues who turned out in a show of solidarity returned to their workstations just before 9 a.m.”

General secretary of the Unity Workers’ Union (UWU), Senator Caswell Franklyn, told Barbados TODAY the employee in question had approached him seeking representation.

He explained that the former general worker had been fired on Friday, resulting in today’s protest action by his colleagues.

“I’m supposed to be representing him. I was in the Senate and they sent him home when I wasn’t there. Every time we tried to get a meeting it got put back. I put back one meeting because I had to be in court the Tuesday when my matter came up, so I told the guy to ask for an adjournment,” Franklyn said.

He disclosed that the now severed worker had initially been fired in December but was subsequently rehired.

Franklyn said the disciplinary action stemmed from the worker being employed part-time at another business.

The trade unionist claimed the employee had informed management at Purity about his decision and sought approval, which was given.

The outspoken senator said he would be appealing the decision on behalf of his client.

“The next step would be that he is entitled to an appeal and we will process that appeal and submit it to the management at Purity and we will see what happens,” Senator Franklyn said.
(randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)