PSA/WASA in tense talks

“This is simply workers saying we want our issues to be taken seriously where health and safety is concerned,” Duke told the media yesterday shortly before noon, and before he met with WASA’s chairman, directors, chief executive officer and senior management staff at WASA head office, St Joseph.

Contrary to rumours in some of the press and a voice recording making the rounds on social media that the PSA was going to shut down operations, Duke said that the PSA will not become a part of “a wild cat strike” to deny the nation of its precious water resource. About the meeting he was attending, he said, the PSA was in for discussions about its members providing a reliable and adequate service to the public in a safe and secure environment, and for which the association expected a favourable outcome.

“If it is favourable all goes well. If it is not favourable then we will have to think about what we can do next.

We are not going in with any preconceived ideas, that if you don’t do this we are going to do that.

We are not saying that at this time,” he said. Duke addressed the media in the presence of “a small fraction” of processing plant operators representing all the others whose concerns, he said, ranged from workers being shot at and being shot dead, poor health, and lack of protective clothing and safety equipment.

Workers have reach a boiling point, he said, “where they believe these issues are far too serious, in particular, given last week’s situation where a worker on his way to work would have encountered the unthinkable - two dead bodies - executed gangster style.” It was not the first time, he said that such crimes had been committed at that particular location. Due to the lack of protective clothing, he said that a number of workers have suffered from chlorine blasts and having to be hospitalised.

“Some of our men are even suffering from erectile dysfunction. I hate to say that, but that is the reality,” he said. He said that there are workers who are unable to eat a proper diet because their respiratory system was compromised due to the inhalation of the chlorine gas.

In terms of security, he said that due to the location of the security booths and where processing plant operators function and a lack of effective communication and communication equipment, several operators have been robbed and beaten on the job, due to breaches in security. Speaking about the meeting that took place at WASA on Wednesday night, Duke said the PSA caught management with their pants down. Claiming that they expressed no concern at all, he said “All they are doing is apologising.” Yesterday’s meeting was, he said, “to put our heads together and try to resolve this issue. So there would be no crisis or perception of a crisis.” The issues of health and safety, he said, were of grave concern to all of WASA employees, but more critically those working at the various installations where work goes on around the clock. Up to last two week, Duke said that the PSA was trying to have discussion with the management of WASA, but they were “pussy-footing” on the issues, putting things on hold while claiming lack of funds. Efforts to get a response or outcome of yesterday’s meeting from WASA and the PSA were futile.