Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) has banned trade unionist Caswell Franklyn from free access to restricted areas of the airport.
Franklyn, a former grievance/industrial relations officer with the National Union for Public Servants, recently formed Unity Workers Union after failing to have his NUPW contract renewed.
The core membership of the new union of which he is general secretary comprises airport workers whom he had represented in his previous position.
In a memorandum obtained by the DAILY NATION and dated July 13, 2010, to GAIA security officers, Major Neville Brathwaite, Chief of Airport Security Officers, stated: “This memo serves to inform you that Mr Caswell Franklyn is no longer employed by the National Union of Public Workers and is therefore not authorised to access any restricted areas of the GAIA.”
The memo further stated: “Mr Franklyn is not to be escorted or allowed access to the security officers’ compound at Spencer’s, neither is he to be escorted or allowed access through the staff screening checkpoint or any security access gate at GAIA, without the authority of the Chief of Security or Deputy Chief of Security, GAIA Inc.”
Franklyn told the DAILY NATION yesterday that he attended a meeting of the airport controllers during a sick-out, and while there learnt that that he was no longer employed by the NUPW, with which he had a two-year contract.
The trade unionist also claimed disaffected members of the NUPW at the airport asked him to form a union – hence Unity Workers’ Union which reportedly has membership drawn from different areas of the public sector under president Fabian Broome, who is also president of the Barbados Air Traffic Controllers Association.
Franklyn said since he could not get access to workers to hold meetings in the desired areas of the airport compound, he had resorted to meeting them under a tree near St Bartholomew’s Church.
He vowed to continue his airport recruitment campaign from among GAIA workers, since there was evidence of a slow trickle of these workers seeking membership.
Franklyn also disclosed that his union had recently been informed by the Treasury that the monthly union dues of $26 would be deducted from his Government members’ salaries from tomorrow. (GC)
