Sanitation workers walked off the job on Monday in protest over working conditions and pay, backed by a union leader not recognised by the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) management.
But the industrial action has almost certainly set the workers’ recognised union, the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) on a collision course with the Unity Workers Union which called out the workers despite its unofficial status.
The workers are demanding better compensation and respect, with one spokesperson saying: “It’s really unfair to many of us, and we need more respect and better conditions.”
The dispute centres on a proposed incentive payment that workers say has been delayed for months despite funds being provided by the government as far back as February.
Caswell Franklyn, general secretary of the Unity Workers Union (UWU), has strongly criticised the SSA bosses.
“The money has been paid into sanitation, and there’s no excuse for a four-month delay,” he said. “We want the money now.”
Franklyn accused the SSA of trying to deprive workers of the incentive money intended for them.
He also hit out at the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), the sanitation workers’ recognised union, saying it was complicit in exploiting workers owing to political ties.
But NUPW General Secretary Richard Green denied this, saying his union had consistently improved workers’ terms and represented their interests through established negotiating processes.
“We advocated for a fair distribution of incentives,” he said, adding the NUPW was not formally sanctioning the current action.
The workers voiced frustration at perceived inaction despite promises, with one saying “Management just tells us to go back to work and promises to solve our problems, but nothing changes.”
They also raised concerns about difficult working environments, lack of manoeuvring space for trucks and issues over unpaid wages.
Franklyn vowed the UWU-backed protest would continue until demands were met, threatening it could withdraw support for other unions’ strikes.
The industrial action has brought to the fore rising tensions between the NUPW and the UWU.
The UWU’s Franklyn accused the NUPW of being a “minority union” at the SSA and not doing enough for workers. He dismissed suggestions the protest was politically motivated.
“This isn’t about BLP or DLP,” he said, referring to the two main political parties. “These workers toil for meagre wages, and there’s an opportunity for them to finally get some money.”
He proposed a “simple ratio” system to distribute the incentive funds across different roles like drivers and loaders.
Franklyn also alleged some sanitation workers were being paid to perform personal tasks for SSA managers, suggesting political factors were behind mismanagement.
“This has to stop,” he demanded. “When other unions need to bolster their strikes, they call on sanitation workers. That will end now.”
But the NUPW’s Green insisted his union was following proper negotiating procedures that have been longstanding and effective in industrial relations.
He acknowledged the workforce was diverse, including drivers, loaders, mechanics and administrative staff, saying the NUPW aimed for an incentive plan “equitable and satisfactory for all categories”.
While not all NUPW members were working, Green said this did not amount to an official NUPW strike. He urged members to return, saying talks were ongoing.
With both unions digging in, disagreeing over procedures and making competing claims to represent the disgruntled workforce, the prospects for a swift resolution appear remote.
