NBN dispute referred to Ministry of Labour

THE breakdown in negotiations between management of the National Broadcasting Network (NBN) and unions representing employees has been referred to the Ministry of Labour for arbitration. It is expected that the matter will eventually reach the Industrial Court for final settlement. The teams have failed to agree on an acceptable separation package. The VSEP package being offered by management has been described as a “retrenchment package” by the unions. The Electronic Media Union of Trinidad and Tobago (EMUTT) and the Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers (UCIW) referred the matter to the Ministry last Tuesday.

Management is expected to inform the Ministry of the breakdown between itself and the Senior Staff Association (SSA) this week. Union representatives met last Friday with Information Minister Dr Lenny Saith at his office at the National Library, but left without any progress in terms of settling the matter. Anthony Garcia, President of the EMUTT told Newsday that the minister told them he was happy for the matter to be settled at the Industrial Court. Minister Saith indicated to the representatives that he could not directly get involved in the negotiations and if they could not agree then take it to the next level, the Ministry of Labour and even the court. Garcia said no date for the arbitration meetings with the ministry had been set, but they were assured by Saith that the process could be fast tracked. However he said he didn’t expect management to “change their tune at those meetings.”

Garcia explained that if the matter remains unresolved it would be sent to the Industrial Court. He said the court cannot rule on VSEP since there are no laws regarding the matter, and it will then have to draw on the Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act. NBN is offering in addition to the “retrenchment package” one week’s salary and 25 per cent enhancement. Garcia said what surprised him in the whole issue, was that government “can spend $73 million within 18 months on CEPEP and has refused to come back to the table and give us a nice package to go home with.”

He said the unions were not against what government was trying to do with the company, “...they can put a crapaud in charge, but what we are interested in, is the injustice meted out to us. “We have been the eyes and ears of the government for successive years, being state owned, and we are being treated worse than dogs.” NBN is expected to close its doors on April 30, at which time a new viable company doing the same work will come on stream.