An emergency meeting of the executive council of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) is to be held from 4:30 this evening to discuss the escalation of the issue surrounding G4S Secure Solutions Barbados.
A media statement from general secretary Toni Moore said after officially informing Minister of Labour Colin Jordan today of the intention to stage industrial action against the company on Tuesday, the union subsequently learnt the Airport was making counter moves.
Moore said “the Government of Barbados, through the management of the Grantley Adams International Airport, now finds itself seemingly taking sides with G4S by engaging in strike-breaking tactics to avoid what they possibly conceive would be likely disruption”.
“The Barbados Workers Union respects the rights of any employer to secure the best interest of its directors and its customers. However, this cannot be acceptable if we recognise that such steps are being taken in a direction that are at the expense of proper industrial relations practice and that is in contravention of the regulation of the Transportation Security Administration,” she noted.
The executive will review the issue and determine whether there will be a national strike, since it has now gone beyond the G4S issue, the release said.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley is set to meet with members of the Cabinet at the same time and then with representatives of both parties in the matter.
The BWU and G4S have been locked in negotiations for about five years as the former seek to get a wage proposal in response to a request for a salary increase from workers. They are also demanding parity in pay for the same work across the company.
Security officers recently held two protests outside the offices of G4S at Brighton, St Michael. (PR/SAT)
