Former high-ranking union member says public castigation of Franklyn by other unions ‘surprising’

The decision of some union leaders to publicly condemn the actions of one of their own is not sitting well with a veteran trade unionist.

Dr. Derek Alleyne, who rose to the rank of deputy general secretary in the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), said that whether or not these leaders agreed with the strike action instigated by head of the Unity Workers’ Union (UWU), Senator Caswell Franklyn, to publicly deem it irresponsible is not fair.

“It is against the traditions of union behaviour. Unions can disagree on any matter but to describe the behaviour of the union as irresponsible is not within the traditions of trade unionism,” he told Barbados TODAY.

Alleyne’s comments were in response to the public criticism of Franklyn’s actions by president of the NUPW Kimberley Agard, General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), Toni Moore, and general secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) Dennis De Peiza.

During a press conference hosted by Prime Minister Mia Mottley on Wednesday, these leaders distanced themselves from the strike action being taken by nurses represented by the UWU and questioned whether industrial relations protocols had been observed in the matter. The UWU-represented nurses have been off the job for over a week, protesting unsatisfactory work conditions and the planned implementation of safe zones that would require them to be either fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested regularly.

Specifically, Moore expressed her disappointment at the withdrawal of labour while DePeiza suggested that the UWU’s actions were not consistent with the “principles of good industrial relations practice”.

“As a labour organisation, we ought to show a higher sense of responsibility, maturity and professionalism, so that we do not bring the nation basically to its knees by our actions,” De Peiza said.

Alleyne’s position was that if union leaders do not support another leader’s position, they simply don’t say anything.

“It’s what you do that will say whether you support them or not— it is how you respond. I am aware that some of those unions have nurses as well and they don’t need to make any comment. If [their] nurses are not on strike it makes a statement. So you don’t have to come and condemn what the other union is doing. I find it is not in keeping with the traditions that we all observe as trade unionists. But then again, this might be a new breed of trade unionists who feel that they have a right to contest in the public, positions about other unions. I was truly surprised,” Alleyne said.

The trade unionist voiced concern that anytime there is division across the labour movement, members begin to question whether or not it makes sense to be a part of the process. He believed that members are indeed aware that unions will disagree on some of the processes and procedures about anything. However, he posited that to make this disagreement public at a time when a union is fighting for its members, is not in the best interest of the entire movement.

“I believe that a union leader responds to the calls of his or her members. He will weigh the costs and the benefits on whatever decision he is going to make because he is representing the interests of his members. . . . I don’t know what the nature of the issues are generally, but I will never deem the actions of any trade unionist as irresponsible. A trade unionist leads his union and there are issues that the members are going to put before you that you will find it difficult not to respond to.”

On the issue of the PM’s promise that the pay of the striking nurses will be docked, Alleyne described it as an intimidation tactic and insisted that it was unfortunate that Mottley would resort to such.

“It is ironic that all these frontline workers that all the praises were heaped on last year are now the villains,” he said. “I find it a little ironic that when there was no vaccine the same nurses were told, ‘you have to go to work, that the nature of your job is in itself hazardous’ and that ‘we will provide you with the PPE [personal protection equipment] so you don’t have to worry but you have to go to work and care for the people’

“Nobody came out to tell anybody the nurses had no right going work – it dangerous. It was dangerous before they had a vaccine, and they had to go to work. They couldn’t say they were staying at home. . . . Now you are forcing them to take a vaccine and putting them in zones and all kinds of foolishness. I think it is unfair and ironic that those persons who went on the frontline in the first place for this country are now being forced to do things against their will,” Alleyne lamented. (KC)