Daily-rated workers protest outside Riverside Plaza

The workers are protesting a reclassification of checkers, the failure of the Chief Personal Officer (CPO) to begin negotiations for salary increases for the workers, and the Government’s failure to offer them a pension plan.

Accompanied by members of the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW), the workers converged in front of the building with placards in hand from as early as 8 am. Joining the protestors about two hours later was NUGFW president general, Robert Giuseppi, who said he had initially met with CPO Narieman Hosien Ahamad, and had requested that both Central and Local Government workers be re-graded.

"The employers agreed that the checkers were improperly graded and we asked that they should carry the workers up at least one grade," Giuseppi said.

"The CPO refused, saying that she will get back to the union and said that as far as she is concerned, the checkers are properly graded," he added.

He said the union was also informed that out of the 2,400 checkers, the Government only required 700 and that the other 1,700 are to be contracted out.

"We sent in proposals since 2004 to the CPO to sit and negotiate for the new collective agreement, and it is going into 2006 now and no agreement has been met," Giuseppi stated.

"What kind of Government will cause people to suffer in their old age, we are not talking about politics, we are talking about industrial relations," he said.

Giuseppi then met with the CPO and Labour Minister Anthony Roberts. After the two-hour meeting, he told the irate workers that an agreement had been reached ensuring that none of the checkers will be contracted out or downgraded, and that a memorandum of understanding will be signed next week putting an end to the contracting out and downgrading of workers.

Giuseppi said the union will proceed with negotiations for worker reclassification and for better salaries.

"Today’s outcome clearly shows that if a few hundred workers could influence the employer to agree on one of our issues, then imagine what the voice of the 20,000 daily-rated could do," Giuseppi told the relieved workers.