The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) supports the National Union of Public Workers in its call for the restoration of overtime pay to employees of the Sanitation Services Authority.
Against the backdrop of the current unreliable and inefficient garbage collection system, CTUSAB contends that the decision to curtail overtime pay at this time, is ill-advised, and ought to be the subject of immediate review.
CTUSAB posits that government’s decision to blanket overtime pay as a dictate of the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan (BERT), needs to be rationally thought through, as this action can potentially place the country at a serious health risk. The pile up of garbage can have a negative impact on the health of the nation and the environment.
While labour accepts and understands the economic challenges facing the nation, the circumstances nonetheless warrant that prudent decision making applies, so that areas of high impact to the national well-being are not compromised.
The Congress proposes that a programme of action is engaged, where there is weekend collection of garbage in areas of heavy pile up, and where there is the absence of the scheduled weekly service. (PR)
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