No weekend lifeguards until end of January

LIFEGUARDS will continue to withhold their services on weekends at the nation’s beaches until a January 25 meeting with the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO), at which the CPO is expected to reveal her counter-proposals. As a result, there will be no lifeguards on duty over the Christmas weekend, including Boxing Day, a public holiday. Lifeguard Kirk Morton told Newsday yesterday that they were led to believe that “things are going in the direction we want,” after Monday’s meeting with the CPO. He said although the dialogue is constructive, based on past experiences, they are not taking anything for granted. As a result, Morton said lifeguards have decided to continue to withdraw their services on weekends. Beaches to be affected are Maracas, Las Cuevas, Manzanilla, Mayaro and Tobago. He said they acknowledge the negotiating process is a lengthy one, but they are not accepting empty promises, and are determined to let the CPO know that.

He said lifeguards feared that if they did not keep up their actions and show their seriousness, the talks might be deliberately prolonged. Morton said the next meeting is scheduled for January 13, but the National Union of Government and Federated Workers Union (NUGFW) is expected to “sign off” on the job description part of the agreement at that meeting. The CPO is expected to reveal her counter-proposals to the lifeguards demands at the January 25 meeting.

Morton said the lifeguards have submitted proposals which include requests for a daily allowance of $233 for a lifeguard on entry and $256 daily after two years service. Additionally, based on in-house qualifications, which include diving and launch captain, lifeguards should get a five percent increase. Lifeguard instructors and community education officers should get $326 daily and patrol captains $356 daily. Those three positions were recently approved by Cabinet. Morton said they will accept an offer as “close as possible” to their proposals.