Talks progress but SSA dispute not yet tidied up

It remains unclear whether the Crop Over festival will climax without disruption, as more than 700 workers await the outcome of fresh talks between the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) and the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA). But while no guarantees have been given, both union and management are expressing cautious optimism ahead of the long festival weekend.

NUPW Deputy General Secretary Wayne Walrond said workers who downed tools last week are hoping to be paid for the time they were off the job during the two-day strike that halted rubbish collection across the island.

“We expect the workers to be paid,” he said following an over three-hour meeting at the LV Harcourt Lewis Building, Dalkeith, St Michael. “We don’t necessarily want to go back to a protest action-type situation. In good industrial relations, we always ask that there be no recriminations.”

The strike, which began last Thursday, was triggered by mounting frustration over the delayed and disorganised rollout of a government-backed performance-based incentive scheme. Some workers reported receiving as little as $100 to $400, while others received up to $700—amounts far below expectations.

Workers gradually returned to work on Monday afternoon but told Barbados TODAY they were eagerly awaiting the outcome of this meeting to determine their next move.

Walrond said Tuesday’s discussions were “cordial” and focused heavily on grievances around the calculation and consistency of incentive payments, as well as broader employment conditions.

“The NUPW and the delegation committee of SSA met with the Sanitation Service Authority and two management staff. We have discussed the incentive pay. We will speak to the workers first, but we’re looking at the positive way forward,” he said.

He confirmed that payments for the first quarter—April to June—had been made, while the second quarter, covering July, is currently under review. “We’re looking towards an improved arrangement. There’s no exact figure we could point to now, but we’ve put a case forward for an improved base for workers.”

Walrond said the workers would be formally updated at a 6 a.m. meeting on Wednesday, initially scheduled to elect a new management committee for the sanitation division. However, the focus is now on whether enough progress has been made to avoid further disruption.

“These workers are going to want to hear how the talks went and if there were any advancement on the incentive and any other grievances,” Walrond said. “We don’t necessarily anticipate further industrial action, but we can’t say it’s impossible.”

The incentive scheme at the centre of the dispute was introduced in mid-2024, and has undergone multiple revisions following worker unrest. A strike last year led by the Unity Workers’ Union forced a review of the original plan, with the NUPW negotiating additional amendments. SSA Chairman Ramon Alleyne earlier this year confirmed a revised proposal had been submitted, but unrest resurfaced as concerns persisted.

Alleyne acknowledged that miscommunication may have contributed to last week’s strike but said the meeting had helped clarify issues surrounding the incentive programme.

“There is a way forward,” he said. “There will be continued discussions in relation to ensuring the incentive programme is settled and understood by all. We’re looking to ensure there is an equitable determination of the incentive payments.”

He also defended the SSA’s efforts in improving conditions for its workforce.

“Sanitation workers are the only government workers with a well-established health insurance plan. They’ve had new hygiene facilities built, a new recreational centre, and an increase in the washing allowance,” Alleyne said.

The SSA chairman also acknowledged worker dissatisfaction and committed to holding a town hall to give employees a space to air additional concerns outside of union channels.

As for preparations for the Grand Kadooment clean-up, Alleyne said the authority is fully resourced and ready. “We have new trucks on the road, we’ve increased the worker complement, and we’re prepared to meet this weekend. I don’t expect any let-up in that effort,” he said.

Walrond echoed the importance of maintaining calm during the country’s biggest cultural celebration. “You want a happy Crop Over. You want clean roads. You want a nice country. It makes sense to ensure there are no recriminations as a result of the actions the workers have taken.”

In a previous interview, the NUPW said health and safety was of major concern as more than 50 workers had died over a two to three year period. However, Alleyne pushed back on linking deaths to the company.

He said: “I don’t know of this throwing out of numbers—50 persons have passed away—and linking it to the possibility of conditions. Let’s consider the fact that again, within the last few years, we would have implemented the rollout programme so that our workers could have better health options relative to injuries on the job related to lifting heavy cans and the like.

“As I said, we are the ones who put in a health insurance plan for the workers. So again, I do not know a basis where the union or the workers themselves cannot say that there is a focus in this management to improve both their health, their well-being, and the reward that they receive.”

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb