CWU marches against TSTT firings

KRISTI-MARIE MADRAY

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has filed an industrial relations offence complaint against TSTT.

On Friday, CWU secretary general Clyde Elder told Newsday the IRO was filed in relation to the CWU’s allegation that the company committed an offence by firing workers after they did not accept the company’s terms.

“The company has committed a further industrial relations offence by failing to meet members of the union before deciding whether or not the jobs were suitable and viable and we have also alleged that company in dismissing the workers in the way that they did would have violated the provisions of the Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act,” Elder said.

The complaint was a measure taken against TSTT after the dismissal of four members of the CWU who had signed their new contract, “under duress.”

In addition, the CWU staged a protest outside of the TSTT main office in Port of Spain, where Elder told Newsday, “Once they declare war on us, this is but a small hammer that the union is going to put forward in defence of the wall they are putting down on us.”