Airport workers in Unity

A “significant number” of dissatisfied workers from the Grantley Adams International Airport have signed up for membership of Unity Workers’ Union (UWU) – Barbados’ newest trade union.General secretary Caswell Franklyn said the workers “no longer want to belong to the National Union of Public Workers”, the trade union from which Franklyn was recently terminated as grievance industrial relations officer.He said the UWU was registered on July 26, and the airport workers were among about 50 people who had already joined, while several other applications had been received in a membership drive being carried out by about eight recruiting officers. Franklyn claimed workers all over Barbados were “crying out for representation from their unions”, and he alledged some people who had indicated an interest in joining were being pressured by employers. However, he maintained his union was a general union “and we will recruit anywhere”. The UWU is run by an executive council comprising five executive officers and seven floor members, and is charging a membership fee of $26 per month.Franklyn vowed to fight any employer trying to prevent a worker from “exercising his democratic and constitutional right”.He said the registered office was located at his Welchman Hall, St Thomas home “until such time as we can afford to rent offices”.Franklyn has been exposed to trade unionism for about 20 years and has benefited from International Labour Organisation courses. He has twice worked on contract with the National Union of Public Workers.He told the SATURDAY SUN: “I feel pain for the workers because they are not getting a good deal.” (GC)