AT&LU Wrestles WIOC From ABWU

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Thursday, 07 June 2012 02:30

By Everton Barnes

Antigua St John's - The Antigua Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) is now the bargaining agent for workers employed by the West Indies Oil Company (WIOC), who were formerly represented by the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU).

AT&LU Industrial Relations Officer Ralph Potter reported that his union assumed the legal right to represent the workers following a process supervised by the Labour Department as required by law.

He said the process happened after the workers numbering just over 70 –complained about the level of representation they were receiving from the ABWU and requested that the Labour Department initiate the process for de-certification that would allow the AT&LU to become the bargaining agent.

“Over 40 of the eligible voters took part in a secret ballot and the AT&LU emerged as the overwhelming choice of the majority,” he stated.

According to the union official, while this process took place earlier this year, the AT&LU wants to begin negotiations this month and it has requested a date from management when negotiations may begin.

He noted that there was one area of critical concern to the workers.

“The workers have complained that there is a Pension Plan in place as part of the agreement between them and the company, but that they feel shortchanged by management whenever an employee goes off on retirement. This is an issue that we will address as a priority,” he declared.

Potter said the union is awaiting a response from WIOC indicating a date when these negotiations will take place.

Meanwhile, Potter said one month after the consultant firm Adair and Associates submitted their report to the board at the Antigua Port Authority, the AT&LU has not yet received a copy so that it can peruse its contents and recommendations.

“We are dispatching a letter Thursday formally requesting a copy of the report as our verbal requests have seemingly fallen on deaf ears,” he added.

The AT&LU doesn’t want the current management team, severely criticized in the report, to be involved in implementing any of the recommendations, especially as they pertain to the workers.

Potter is of the view that moving forward with the current team would go against the very recommendations detailed in the report commissioned by the board.

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