NWU President Tyrone Maynard
The National Workers Union (NWU) has accused the management of the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) of being “low, petty, wicked and anti-worker” after the NIC did not grant leave to an employee to attend a regional meeting.
The NWU said in a letter that it was invited to a” two-day Consultation for Civil Society and Private Sector Umbrella Groups on the development agenda for the OECS region”. The consultation is being organised by the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission through the Social Development Unit (SDU) and UNDP Barbados. The meeting will run from Dec. 4-Dec.5, 2014 at the Auberge Seraphone Conference Room, in Vigie, Castries.
The NWU said it informed the NIC management in a letter dated November 19, 2014 that Anthony Cornibert was selected by the management committee of the NWU to participate in the consultation and requested trade union education leave with pay to facilitate his attendance.
The NWU further stated: “This request is based on a provision in an industrial agreement between the National Insurance Coproration and the National Workers Union. Suprisingly at about 3:53 p.m. on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 the NWU was informed that the requested two days leave was not granted. Sir, we interpret this decision by the NIC as being low, petty, wicked and anti-worker. This new management style will do more harm than good to a relationship that we fought so hard to build.”
The NWU letter to the NIC was signed by President Tyrone Maynard and copied to the prime ministers of Antigua, Dominica, St. Kitts, Grenada, as well as Dr. Didacus Jules – OECS Director General; Dr. Robert K. Lewis – Minister of Education, Human Resource Development and Labour; executive director of the Saint Lucia Employers Federation; executive director of the Saint Lucia Chamber of Commerce; Public Service International; International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the NIC staff.
The NWU and the NIC have been at loggerheads over negotiations. NIC staff has since took industrial action with sickout and sit-ins, starting on Monday, Dec. 1.