Union looking at its options on safe zones

The largest public sector trade union in Barbados is considering what course of action it will take to address “the adverse impact” which the new COVID-19 Safe Zones will have on its members in the healthcare profession.

In addition, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) Richard Greene said on Monday the union was disappointed at not being formally consulted on the implementation of the zones which he says will change the terms and conditions of employment for the healthcare providers.

“We will now have to look at the courses of action that we will have to employ to address whatever areas of concern that the workers in the health sector would have with it now. It will be premature to say what action,” Greene told Barbados TODAY.

“What the Safe Zones have done, they have altered the terms and conditions of employment of the workers in the healthcare sector in the sense of mandating the workers to take the vaccine and have compulsory testing. So that is our main area of concern and the fact that there has not been the adequate level of consultation on that change,” he said.

Green explained that there was no formal notification of the Safe Zones or that they were going to be implemented.

“We will now have to speak to our members to see the specific areas that affect them and how they would now seek some redress if they feel violated by the conditions of the Safe Zones,” the union leader contended.

When Prime Minister Mia Mottley first announced Safe Zones in mid-October, she promised that there would be meetings with the business community and labour unions to see how safe zones could be created for patrons. (EJ)