NUPW gives SSA extra time to complete performance incentive plan

he state-run Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) has asked unionised workers for more time to complete a revised performance incentive plan to stave off a possible resumption of industrial action that had been suspended over the issue.

Although the two additional weeks requested by the SSA management have expired by about another week, National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) general secretary Richard Greene said the union is willing to be patient because of the sensitive nature of the scheme.

“The SSA has asked the NUPW for additional time to revise the performance incentive plan that they had initially brought to us. They are making some adjustments; so we have asked the workers to give them a little more time to be able to set the criteria that they will use for that performance incentive plan,” Greene told Barbados TODAY in an exclusive interview.

“So, currently, we are awaiting a follow-up meeting with the Sanitation Service Authority so that we can have further discussions on that. They had initially asked for two weeks to complete the plan, but that two weeks has now gone by about a week.”

Greene stressed that the NUPW wants the refuse collection and disposal agency to take great care in preparing the document so as not to disadvantage the workers who are depending on it.

“Because of the nature of any performance incentive plan, great care and attention has to be taken to make sure that the plan is adequate. So, we are prepared to be patient,” he declared.

The NUPW general secretary noted that, based on experiences with previous performance incentive schemes, the union appreciates the need for the SSA to be accurate, cover all the basics, avoid anomalies, and to be fair and equitable.

Four months ago, the SSA declared a “clear” breach of protocol regarding the work stoppage by some of its employees, which continued for a second day.

The workers, including truck drivers, loaders, and administrative staff, staged a wildcat strike backed by the Caswell Franklyn-led Unity Workers Union (UWU), which is not recognised by the SSA management.

They are demanding a resolution to outstanding incentive pay and better working conditions.

The NUPW, which is the recognised bargaining agent for SSA employees, instructed its members to return to the job, while Franklyn had insisted his members would remain on the picket line until their demands were met. That did not happen, as all the workers subsequently returned to their jobs.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb