ALL is not well between the National Workers Union (NWU) and Secure Saint Lucia, both of which have called on the Labour Department to intervene in a matter that to date has shown no sign of improvement.
The NWU described its matter with Secure Saint Lucia as an industrial row in the making while Secure Saint Lucia has denied having an industrial dispute with the NWU. However both parties are giving each other ultimatums.
The NWU has called on Secure Saint Lucia to respond to its request for a meeting within two weeks or face the music if it fails to comply, while Secure Saint Lucia has accused the NWU of pushing the narrative of an ongoing industrial relations dispute that simply does not exist and playing delaying tactics to incite unnecessary industrial action.
NWU: Industrial Row Brewing With Secure Saint Lucia
ON June 26, 2021 the National Workers Union (NWU) held a general staff meeting in its Southern Office at which employees of Secure St. Lucia Limited were in attendance. During that meeting the workers pointed out a number of shortcomings within the operational service that they provide to the various companies in the southern part of the island.
♦ They disclosed their concerns with the upsurge in criminal activities in Vieux Fort.
♦ On many occasions tinted vehicles would drive slowly and stop near buildings where Secure St. Lucia Limited provide service to that establishment.
♦ The workers also pointed out that they have received threats via their mobile phones and that was surprising.
♦ They voiced that there is nobody in Management that they can reach out to on these developments.
The NWU suggested requesting a Joint General Staff Meeting preferably with Mr. Gabriel Pierre the General Manager in attendance. Mr. Pierre has a long history and background in policing so he could share new strategies with more protection which could redound to the benefit of the employees and the company. The meeting ended with a level of satisfaction that such a request would be accepted by the company.
Up till Saturday August 7, 2021 Mr. Pierre informed the NWU that he is unable to attend such a meeting. The Union has since given Mr. Pierre fourteen (14) days to review his response and revert with a positive acceptance failing which he will be responsible for any action taken by the workers in the interest of their safety and health.
The NWU has also requested the intervention of the Labour Commissioner on this matter.
Tyrone G. Maynard
President General
Secure Saint Lucia: There Is No Ongoing Industrial Relations Dispute with NWU
IN response to a news item claiming Secure St. Lucia and the National Workers Union (NWU) are involved in “an industrial relations dispute”, the company issues the following statement:
1. On March 30 and 31, 2021, the union requested a meeting to discuss issues relating to complaints by three (3) security guards. The first meeting took place April 9, 2021.
2. Nearly three months later (on June 28, 2021), the union wrote again, indicating ‘pressing matters’ had arisen that required an “extremely urgent” meeting, which date the union unilaterally set from 10a.m. on Saturday, July 4, at its office in Vieux Fort.
3. The union, without consultation, also set the agenda and decided who from the company will attend, also demanding attendance by the company’s Managing Director.
4. On June 30, 2021 the company replied, saying it expected to have been apprised, in advance of the meeting, of the issues of concern, so the company could prepare to address the outstanding urgent issues complained of.
5. On July 5, 2021 the union again replied, accusing the company of not wanting to meet and threatening that *“the union cannot guarantee what action the staff may take afterwards.” The company replied on the same day (July 5) indicating it was always ready to meet and proposed a meeting be arranged in Castries, on any day of any working week (Monday to Friday) and at any mutually-convenient time. The union replied one month later (August 4, 2021) insisting the Managing Director must attend — and again unilaterally setting a new date, without consultation, this time for Saturday August 7, 2021 at 10a.m.
6. The union insisted the meeting had to take place in the south because the issues related to that part of the island.
7. On August 5, 2021 the company reiterated its willingness to meet with the union “at a suitable time and location in Castries,” where both have their headquarters and where all past concerns have been effectively resolved in the past. The company also invited the union to have the employees concerned inform management about the issues, to advance any “attempt to resolve their complaints, hopefully before it escalates.”
8. Instead of arranging a meeting at a mutually convenient time to address the matter, the union chose to take the issue to the press, personally targeting the Managing Director in their release.
9. The next the company heard from the union was a letter on August 9, 2021 with an ultimatum to meet “within 14 days” and another threat, that “failing which, your company will be held responsible.”
10. On August 9, the union also wrote to Labour Commissioner requesting her office’s intervention in “an ongoing industrial dispute” with the company, offering another biased version of events, accusing the company of not wanting to meet and insisting that the workers could not attend any meeting held in Castries.
11. This is indeed premature, as the union has taken no steps to meet the company halfway and represent its members. Instead, the union insists, to this day, that the company’s Managing Director MUST attend a meeting in Vieux Fort on the weekend.
12. As can be seen from all the above, there is no “ongoing industrial relations dispute” as the union claims, but rather its refusal — from March 30, 2021 to August 9, 2021 — to arrange the meeting at a time and place of mutual convenience, insisting on dictating to the company and taking unilateral decisions without consultation, in total disregard of the fact that the company’s Managing Director also has a daily schedule involving the many other locations island-wide.
13. The NWU can do better than that and Secure St. Lucia looks forward to the union arranging the meeting on any working day (Monday to Friday) and at any mutually convenient time for both sides, rather than pushing the narrative of “an ongoing industrial relations dispute” that simply does not exist and playing delaying tactics to incite unnecessary industrial action.