A NUMBER OF National Conservation Commission (NCC)?workers, under instruction of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), refused to sign for letters related to their retrenchment when they met with management this morning at the organisation’s Codrington House, St Michael, headquarters.
The union’s instructions came amid howls of protests from workers that the “last in first out” principle that has been agreed on with the NCC management was not followed. This resulted with workers’ some with more than 20 years’ service being retrenched, while those employed for less than three years have been kept.
Workers indicated they would be meeting with the BWU and further word on this matter can be expected later today.
The first hint that there would be problems this morning came last night when BWU general secretary Sir Roy Trotman said he was unaware that anyone from NCC had received any letters to attend the meeting which was held at 10 a.m.
According to reports, lifeguards, rangers, artisans and general workers were among the 194 of the estimated 976 NCC?employees slated for retrenchment.
The 31-word, two-sentence letter seen by the MIDWEEK?NATION requested the workers meet with general manager Keith Neblett at the commission’s Codrington House headquarters.
However, Sir Roy warned such a move would run afoul of the BWU. He said if NCC?workers were indeed being sacked today, the failure to communicate as promised “is to put an end to the process of social dialogue”.
Therefore, such action could result in the union taking its own kind of response.
“We met the NCC last Wednesday and they gave a commitment that they would get back to us and they have not gotten back in touch with us. I took it that was merely a procedural issue.
“The problem last week was that the NCC?board and management wanted to give us a list only of those persons who were actually to receive letters to go home. We thought that that list would make a farce of the entire exercise because if a union is involved in discussions with management and if we are following a particular set of procedures, then that procedure has to be followed honestly and correctly.
“If that procedure is being followed, then the list we have to be given is a list of the entire group of persons who are eligible by qualification for the particular treatment,” said Sir Roy. (SP/MB)
