lrolle@tribunemedia.net
WORKS Minister Desmond Bannister said on Friday he has no intentions to meet with unions representing Water & Sewerage Corporation after officials urged workers to take industrial action this week stemming from grievances with the utility provider.
This comes after Mr Bannister told Tribune Business on Tuesday that he had planned to meet with Water & Sewerage Management Union (WSMU) and Bahamas Utilities Services & Allied Workers Union (BUSAWU) officials on Thursday after they called on their members to block all phone calls from Adrian Gibson, WSC executive chairman, and Elwood Donaldson, WSC general manager.
The two unions, in a joint statement entitled enough is enough , also urged members to immediately exit all Water & Sewerage Corporation What s App chat groups and turn in all cell phones belonging to the utility.
Bahamas Utilities Services and Allied Workers Union (BUSAWU) President Dwayne Woods. (FILE PHOTO)
NASSAU, BAHAMAS The Bahamas Utilities Service and Allied Workers Union and the Water and Sewerage Management Union (WSMU) have initiated action against the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC) over multiple longstanding issues.
In a press release to members, BUSAWU President Dwayne Woods and WSMU President Ednel Rolle indicated that the unions have “now arrived at a place where the corporation has refused to acknowledge and fail to consult legitimate officers of each union in regards to union-related matters”.
The notice indicated that “enough is enough”.
As a part of their initial action, the unions are advising members to exit all WSC WhatsApp groups effective immediately, turn in all cell phones belonging to the corporation and block two particular numbers from their personal cell phones.
Comes as ties severed with chair, top manager Union chief warns over three stage action
By NEIL HARTNELL
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A Cabinet minister last night reminded the Water & Sewerage Corporation s two unions the utility loses money every day after they moved to cut-off all contact with its chairman and general manager.
Desmond Bannister, deputy prime minister and minister of works, told Tribune Business both the middle management and line staff needed to see the wider picture and appreciate that there will be Bahamians who cannot eat and feed their families this Christmas as they launched stage one of their industrial action.
krussell@tribunemedia.net
THE union representing Water and Sewerage Corporation line staff said it is disappointed in the water provider’s decision not to pay out Christmas bonuses this month, allegedly deviating from provisions set out in the workers’ industrial agreement.
Last week, WSC General Manager Elwood Donaldson said the bonuses would be deferred temporarily this year due to fall out from COVID-19.
However, in an interview yesterday, Dwayne Woods, Bahamas Utility Services and Allied Workers Union president, said BUSAWU was aggrieved for various reasons, including reportedly not being given adequate notice to allow workers to plan not to receive the bonus.