All is not well between the Amalgamated Workers' Union and the Mayor of Port of Spain. AWU President-General Michael Prentice says the Union will be meeting with the Corporation this Friday in an attempt to address the concerns of the workers, but he warns, if the Mayor shows up, the meeting will be aborted. Rynessa Cutting has more.
00:00We had Joel Martins was there, Mitchell Simbron was there, and it had gone on and on with COVID mayors that was there before, but we never had some of the problems that we are having today.
00:10President General of the Amalgamated Workers' Union, Michael Prentice, believes that since Mayor Chinua Allen took office, the Port of Spain City Corporation has not been operating as it should.
00:22The CEO is the person responsible for the data, the operation, the corporation, not the council, and these are some of the challenges that we have, and we have called on them time and time again in relation to how the corporation is functioning, but we are not making no progress at all in that regard.
00:39Prentice alleges that critical workers' issues, including promotions and health and safety issues, are not being treated with by the corporation, and ultimately, the corporation is not functioning as it should, but he says it's not because of the management.
00:57You cannot have people doing garbage work, not giving them gloves, not giving them uniform, not giving them boots, not giving them respirators and so on to care of the function.
01:07Something is wrong with that. We can't be carrying back money and making a claim of some falsehood, and at the same time, the workers don't have no uniform and protective gear security function.
01:20Carbid is not being picked up. The place is in a mess, and apparently, people are prepared to accept that. The administrative, which is the public servants, they are afraid of everybody. They are afraid of their shadow.
01:34While he was wary of stating why he believes the corporation is allegedly being undermined, he said he has information to support his stance.
01:43He further claims the corporation has not been fully utilising its fiscal allocations.
01:50We can't be carrying back money and making a claim of some falsehood.
01:55What happened today, my dear?
01:58They now have to go and ask the government, the new government, for funding to manage the corporation.
02:05I'm waiting to hear if they would now tell me it's UNC and give them the money.
02:09That's what I'm saying. I'm waiting out of here, because it was just in charge of the purse.
02:15The union is set to meet with the corporation on Friday to continue discussions surrounding breaches to the collective agreement, as directed by the court.
02:25Because we will be having our most important meeting Friday with the corporation, with the corporation.
02:32I want to emphasise that, with the corporation.
02:35So the mayor should not be part of that meeting?
02:37No, definitely not.
02:40Do you expect him to be part of the meeting?
02:42No, I don't. I don't.
02:46He ought not to be part of the meeting or the non-crisis meeting we are having.
02:49They have been trying to get involved in that regard, and we are simply saying to them,
02:54no, you cannot be part of the workers' personal and private business.
02:59So what will happen if, come Friday, the mayor does, or any member of the council does attempt to take part in that meeting, attend the meeting?
03:08The meeting will be aborted.
03:10In an immediate response, Mayor Chinua Allen confirmed that, as part of the mid-year review submissions,
03:16the corporation has requested additional funding.
03:21However, he says, this is primarily to cover back pay for daily-rated workers and to increase fortnightly wages,
03:29as a consequence of the recently concluded collective bargaining process between the CPO and the amalgamated workers' union.
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