Unions hit plan to send workers home

PRESIDENT General of the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) and president of the Public Services Association (PSA) Watson Duke yesterday disputed statements by Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte that the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is overstaffed.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, NUGFW president James Lambert said both unions have united to demand job security for all WASA workers. Lambert said Le Hunte was quoted as saying WASA is about 60 to 70 per cent overstaffed and all WASA needs is about 3,000 workers. He said that Le Hunte also spoke of a restructuring plan to make WASA sustainable and viable. He said the PSA and the NUGFW totally rejects the minister’s statement that WASA is overstaffed, on the grounds that, it is vacuous, unsupported, unfounded and totally unscientific.

“The minister himself admitted that the organisation needs to be restructured and a strategic plan developed. Therefore, on what basis was he making such public declaration (that WASA is overstaffed)? NUGFW and the PSA are demanding the immediate regularisation of all WASA workers by completing the restructuring of WASA pursuant of the MOAs signed on October 10th, 2013 for several reasons.”

“WASA must complete the restructuring to take into account workers who have been performing additional responsibilities both quantitatively and qualitatively without the benefit of recognition and reward. PSA and NUGFW demand the completion of the restructuring of WASA to enable the organisation to meet current demands and ensure job security for all WASA workers,” Lambert said.

For his part, PSA president Watson Duke reminded Minister Le Hunte that it was “high time he stopped having standpipe conversations and hit the ground and start speaking to workers directly.” Duke called on Le Hunte to meet with both PSA and NUGFW to discuss WASA’s restructuring.