Accusing management of the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) of trying to block workers from joining his union, General Secretary of the Unity Workers’ Union (UWU) Caswell Franklyn is warning he will take the matter as far as the courts if necessary.Franklyn told Barbados TODAY that approximately 80 SSA workers have filled out application forms to join the UWU. However, several of them have complained to him that their requests for the SSA’s accounts department to stop deducting National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) dues from their salaries have been denied.The outspoken trade unionist said he believed this was a deliberate act to force the workers to remain with the NUPW even though they have indicated they no longer want that union to represent them.“These are workers who are trying to leave the NUPW and have gone to the accounts department and told them to ‘stop taking out my money for NUPW’ and they told them ‘no’. They told them to go to the NUPW and get permissio
The scores of Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) workers at the Wildey St Michael depot who took part in a two-day strike have agreed to return to work and allow management and their union to negotiate.This agreement was reached after Minister of Environment and Natural Beautification Adrian Forde, chairman of the SSA Ramon Alleyne and other management officials met with deputy general secretary of the National Union of Public Workers’ (NUPW) Wayne Walrond and other union delegates at the Wildey location.On Monday and Tuesday workers who normally clock in for 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. shifts refused to carry out their duties as they demanded wage, hazard pay and washing allowance increases and protested against alleged ill treatment by management.Walrond assured the workers that the NUPW would get the opportunity to thrash out the “vexing issues” with management by Friday, noting that while it was impossible to give guarantees on all the issues raised, the union was sure there would be
The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) is warning Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) employees looking to defect to another trade union, that such a move could be a major setback to having their outstanding grievances resolved.Scores of SSA workers have broken ties with the NUPW in favour of the Caswell Franklyn-led Unity Workers’ Union (UWU), claiming unsatisfactory representation in having their outstanding concerns addressed.However, on Friday General Secretary of the union Richard Greene had some good news for those who remain under the NUPW umbrella.Greene said the SSA board has agreed in principle to support the workers’ demands for increases in hazard pay and washing allowance.“The board has supported it in principle to grant it to the workers, but it now has to get approval from the Ministry of the Public Service. The board can’t grant it on its own.”
It would be "too premature" for the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) to say how many members, who are employed at the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA), if any, are opting to be represented by the Unity Workers Union (UWU).
Deputy General
The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) is adding its voice to those warning members of the public against attacking members who are on the job. President Kimberley Agard came out in defence of both nurses and Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) workers, some of whom have been on the receiving end of verbal and physical abuse by the public. “As recent as yesterday, a report had to be made to …