Negotiations over salaries

ROBERT Guiseppi, President General of the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) has claimed the union was successful at negotiating (at current market rates) new salaries for daily-rated employees, during a meeting with Finance Minister Conrad Enill and Public Administration Minister Dr Lenny Saith, on Monday.

The negotiations came in the aftermath of walk outs on several prior meetings with the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) with the union at those meetings, refusing to accept figures under current market rates.

Tempers flared between a large crowd and police at the entrance of the National Library in Port-of-Spain as the negotiating team made their way to the meeting, with the crowd of hundreds following.

A police inspector was heard commanding Guiseppi: “control your people and clear the area.” The NUGFW head was allowed to enter the elevator outside the entrance doors. Guiseppi was finally allowed to go to the minister’s office on the seventh floor accompanied by Salim Muwakil, the union’s WASA representative, NUGFW second deputy president general James Lambert, first deputy secretary Jane Simon, Tobago representative Lydia Peters, South representative Razack Ali and a representative from the Amalgamated Union.

After 30 minutes, Guiseppi returned to his supporters and marched to Woodford Square where he addressed the crowd saying the CPO’s proposals were “no more” and had “gone to the scrapyard.”

He added that the ministers (Enill and Saith) would be considering a formula for the present market rates for new figures. Guiseppi said he discussed the topic of job security with the ministers, stating to them, the union’s need to ensure workers were provided with jobs until they retire.