BWU General Secretary looking into reports
Thu, 05/26/2016 - 12:00am
By:
Patricia Thangaraj
THIS island’s largest trade union has no records of any of its members being dissatisfied with the representation that they have been provided and are threatening to quit the Union.
This is according to General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), Toni Moore, who spoke in reference to recent reports in the press which state that more than 50 per cent of the security guards at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus are contemplating leaving the Union.
She said that the matter could hold some truth to it and as the Head she would obviously want to know what is happening within her Union. However, since they do not have any concrete information, she does not have any reason to take action on this issue.
“That could be true, but there is no evidence from our records – because I heard the same thing – so naturally as General Secretary I would want to know what is brewing in my camp that I don’t know about and our records certainly don’t show that to be the case. So unless I am otherwise advised, I don’t think that I have cause to act right now. I know that as it relates to the issues in security, the reports that we heard suggest some part truths because security has been a challenge at university for some time, not this year, not last year, but certainly from the time that I was a member of this organisation.”
Moore stated, that she does however know that there have been some ongoing issues in relation to the employment of private security personnel, at the Wanstead-based tertiary level institution.
“We have had a situation in the University where private security has been used to supplement existing security. Where the problem comes, and where we have signalled to the campus registrar as recently as a meeting that we had a few months back, is that, we are increasingly having reports that private security is not only being used to supplement, but it is being used as a replacement for…”
She further stated, “It seems that the university is looking to control its costs by not engaging the University security where they would customarily be assigned.
“It seems that the University is tending to want to cut its budget by using a firm that is a BWU unionised firm as well.
‘Though one with which we have had and have stated [that there is] a public challenge. Where that challenge is still before the Labour Department even at this very moment being conciliated over.”
At the time, she was addressing members of the press after a meeting with public servants at Solidarity House on Tuesday evening.