|
| |
Contact:
Lucius Doxerie
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 – Information reaching Government indicates that
there have been recent attempts by persons unknown, to take action that would
lead to damage of certain installations within the island’s Electricity network,
and hence cause interruptions in the supply of electricity to consumers.
By notice dated May 16, 2007, the Minister for Labour was advised by the Saint
Lucia Seamen, Waterfront and General Workers Trade Union, of a dispute with
Saint Lucia Electricity Services Ltd. (LUCELEC), and gave the reasons for the
dispute including the non-settlement of a wage increase in respect of a two (2)
year agreement; Severance Pay; Electricity Allowance, Laundry Allowance and
Transportation among others.
The Minister, upon receipt of the notice immediately initiated steps in order to
promote a settlement of the said dispute. Notwithstanding this, even after the
Union gave notice of intended industrial action to the Minister, negotiations
were continuing. This is most unusual, but was allowed hoping that the parties
would have taken this final opportunity to arrive at a mutually acceptable
resolution. Negotiations between the Union and the Employer (LUCELEC) continued,
up until 12th June, 2007 when it was reported that the Union walked out of a
negotiation meeting.
Upon receipt of information that the Union had walked out of negotiations, the
Minister then got in touch with the Union leadership and sought an extension of
the notice period given for Industrial Action under the Essential Services Act,
Cap. 16.12 of the Revised Laws of Saint Lucia, 2001. The Union subsequently
responded that it was unable to grant this extension. At this point, the
Minister was left with no alternative but to invoke the powers conferred upon
him under the said Essential Services Act, to refer the matter to Arbitration.
The Union was contacted verbally and subsequently written to requesting that
they submit two (2) names from whom the Minister would select a representative
for the Tribunal, bearing in mind that the notice period would come to an end on
June 16, 2007. To date the Union has not submitted any nominee for the Tribunal,
an action, which they should have taken within five (5) days of submitting the
notice to the Minister, under the Act.
As a result of this non-receipt of nominees from the Union, the Minister
proceeded to appoint a prominent Union leader Mr. Joseph Dosserie, President of
the Trade Union Federation, of which the St. Lucia Seamen Waterfront and General
Workers Trade Union is a member, to represent the interest of the Employees. It
is strange that the Union is now saying that the Minister has not exhausted the
procedures available to him when they in fact were not prepared to grant the
extension requested in order to allow the Minister to continue mediation.
The Tribunal is now properly constituted and is ready to undertake its work
under the Chairmanship of Queen’s Counsel and former Judge Mr. Michael Gordon.
Even at this late stage, the Minister is prepared to accept a nominee from the
Union to represent its interests on that Tribunal.
What Government cannot and will not accept however, is attempts by persons to
deliberately disrupt the supply of electricity to consumers. Such acts
constitute economic sabotage and are inimical to the promotion and maintenance
of a good industrial relations climate. The perpetrators of these acts should
therefore immediately cease such actions. The Government is also calling on the
Seamen Union to make an unequivocal statement condemning such criminal
behaviour.
Anyone caught carrying out or in anyway aiding or abetting such acts will have
the full weight of the law applied against them.
Government wishes to take the opportunity to assure the general public that
everything is being done to ensure a speedy resolution of this dispute, and an
uninterrupted supply of electricity to consumers.
|
