Scores of “frustrated” Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) workers at the Wildey, St Michael depot are boycotting the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) and joining the Unity Workers’ Union (UWU).
On Wednesday morning, workers turned up for a scheduled meeting with NUPW officials to get an update on the union’s discussions with management last month about their concerns and demands, which include wage, hazard pay and washing allowance increases.
However, some of them expressed dissatisfaction with how the NUPW was handling their outstanding issues and have opted to switch allegiances to the UWU.
When a Barbados TODAY team arrived, several workers were huddled at a nearby bus shelter where UWU general secretary Caswell Franklyn, who showed up around 6 a.m. at the request of some of the employees, spoke to the group about the way forward and how he intended to represent them.
“The NUPW making promises to the workers and not coming through with them and that is why the workers are moving towards Caswell,” one worker who did not want to be identified told Barbados TODAY.
“The workers are frustrated because the union isn’t doing anything for us. The union’s hands are tied with Government and they can’t do anything so we have to get somebody that can really represent us.
“The union didn’t really inform the other depots, the workers at the landfill, or the cemetery about what was going on. So they are trying to keep us divided because they are only coming to the Wildey depot and speaking to us. If you are coming to have a meeting with sanitation workers, which has over 600 people, a meeting is not to be like that, a meeting is supposed to involve everyone,” the SSA employee added.
Franklyn said he had been invited to come and speak to the workers.
“They asked me if I would come. They are interested in joining UWU, so why would I say no? They are basically frustrated with the level of representation they have been getting,” he said.
Franklyn charged that the NUPW had not seen it fit to allow the SSA workers to take action for themselves, although they had given their support when the union dealt with industrial disputes at other government entities.
“The NUPW has been using them to influence decisions in other areas. Let’s say any other place wants help, they call out sanitation . . . but when sanitation has a problem they don’t seem to think that sanitation could come out for sanitation; they just have been using them. NUPW needs sanitation but they don’t treat those workers as if they need them,” the trade unionist contended.
He said the workers were “tired” of what the NUPW was doing “and that is why they reached out to me”.
Franklyn said this was the third time the workers had contacted him. He claimed that on the previous occasions, when the NUPW got wind they could lose members, they “come down here and try to pacify them”.
The UWU leader said his next step was to inform SSA management that he was now representing a segment of the workers and needed to be involved in high-level meetings regarding staff.
Two weeks ago, the SSA employees took part in a two-day strike, demanding increases in wages, hazard pay and washing allowances, and protesting alleged ill treatment by management.
Deputy general secretary of the NUPW Wayne Walrond said union delegates had met with workers on Wednesday morning to inform them about what transpired at the management meeting on October 21.
He said they spoke about the various allowances and increases, health and safety issues and outstanding appointments, but some workers were “anxious” and “angry” with the pace at which the negotiations were taking place.
Walrond described the situation as “volatile”.
“They are looking for the results and not necessarily the efforts being made to reach those results,” the NUPW official said.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
