I FIND IT DISGUSTING that Mr Derek Alleyne is on a quest for the removal of Mr Akanni McDowall as president of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), but that seems to be his role as a party loyalist of the Democratic Labour Party.
I remember in 2009 as a trade unionist seconded to the Urban Development Commission (UDC), he was the director when 12 workers were sent home under the guise of restructuring.
To date the UDC has not been restructured.
Urban has no money and hardly undertakes any projects and with the recent retrenchment, not a worker from UDC was sent home.
I find it laughable that a no-confidence motion was not brought against Mr Alleyne.
As a former worker and a paid member of the NUPW, I want the public servants of this country to understand the political agenda here.
Public servants are asking for a salary increase and you have some executive members who care about representing the workers and are prepared to fight for what is right.
There is propaganda that is being spread around that Akanni is a Barbados Labour Party disciple but I can boldly say that he represents the people.
He is the kind of person who takes a position on a principle and not on personality.
The executive, along with the council, should be commended for stabilising the climate at the NUPW which started rumours of the president being a dictator and ill-treating staff by recommending an incentive-based payment of which 11 workers received between $1 700 and $1 900 recently. Yet they are still upset.
Another issue causing confusion at the NUPW is the closing of the NUPW Agent Inc. or going to a brokerage system with the Medicare plan. The new board of which Akanni McDowall is a member negotiated some of the best rates that the retirees of the plan could afford, but was rejected by some and now they are saddled with high rates.
I would like to publicly state that the NUPW as an institution is important, but there are some who have political and personal agendas to see it go under. I am urging all members to get up and pay attention to the state of affairs at the NUPW and support Akanni McDowall in this fight against any no-confidence motion.
– NATALIE MURRAY
