Talks have begun between the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) and the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) on a performance incentives plan for SSA employees, NUPW General Secretary Richard Green has told Barbados TODAY.
The union, the accredited bargaining agent for the state agency, was invited to engage in discussions by the authority’s chairman on implementing the plan. But, the union leader would give no further details on the talks except to say that the union expects to meet again with the SSA soon.
“The NUPW has indicated to the management that we will make ourselves available whenever they are ready to meet again. When they are in a position to bring greater detail and greater flesh to this incentive scheme, we expect to meet again with them in a reasonable time. Normally, that is within two weeks,” he said.
SSA workers have been asking for increases in pay and improvements to the conditions of employment for some time, Barbados TODAY has learned.
It is understood that under the discussed incentive scheme, workers would be given pay increases and other rewards based on increased productivity and other quantifiable areas. But neither the quantum nor the parameters have been determined.
On last week’s industrial action at Mangrove Pond Landfill, the NUPW head revealed other issues that led to the work stoppage there were discussed.
“Though the recent issues with the condition of service and the situation at the Mangrove Landfill are separate from this performance incentive plan; it was brought up in the meeting today. NUPW has over the years submitted and has been constantly engaged with the Sanitation Service Authority on conditions of service for the employees. And we have been successful in being able to, among other things, negotiate hazard pay for various categories of workers and increases in various allowances, including the washing allowance.
“The current environmental challenges are all part of the overall representation that we made on behalf of the workers of the Sanitation Service Authority. They’re being addressed. The NUPW has been pushing for quite some time for the concerns of the workers to be addressed, and this is meeting with some degree of success.” (RG)
