MTS workers await wage-talks

TRANSPORT and Industrial Workers Union (TIWU) president Judy Charles said workers at the National Maintenance Training Service (MTS) were anxiously awaiting word on when their wage-talks would begin, as they struggled to survive financially on the 2014 wages they now receive.

She told Sunday Newsday that while the Government has given the go-ahead for the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) to negotiate with bodies representing the protective services and the Public Services Association (PSA), not so fortunate have been workers at the MTS, PTSC, WASA and Port.

Charles spoke after she had held a protest of several dozen workers on Friday morning at the MTS headquarters at MTS Plaza in Aranguez, after which she was able to meet MTS CEO Lennox Rattansingh to discuss on-the-job grievances of various workers. She said some MTS workers had raised certain health and safety issues arising on the job but had been ignored, with some workers even being locked out of their premises by client agencies after complaining.

"These are serious issues. When MTS workers speak out on health and safety issues, some clients don't like it."

Charles said TIWU branch officials have reported to her that sometimes company officials seemed to be dragging out matters complained of, leading to her to have to take up such issues.

"We met the CEO today and most grievances were rectified. They will be dealt with as soon as possible."

However Charles said a more long-standing problem has been a lack of wage negotiations, which she said the union should directly conduct with the company, not the CPO because MTS staff were not public servants. "Nothing has been offered to us because nothing has been heard from the Government." She urged the Government to give the MTS "a position" on what to offer to MTS staff. She said the MTS represented 2,500 maintenance technicians who upkeep facilities by painting and minor repairs, beyond merely "passing a broom" as done by cleaners.

Charles said MTS workers were still paid wages agreed in 2014 as a settlement for the 2011-2014 negotiating period. A salary is typically $3,000 per month, she said.

The Government has apparently frozen their wages at the 2014 level, Charles said, with no increases for the three terms since then, starting at 2014-2017.

"It's serious. The Government seems not to care.

"The MTS CEO has his hands tied, unless the Government gives the company a position to be able to start negotiations."

Charles said MTS retirees have been waiting for the past two years for monies owed to them. She said the MTS has said the Government now owes them $600 million.

Sunday Newsday sent a query by text to Minister in the Ministry of Finance Brian Manning asking when MTS might get the go-ahead for negotiations, but up to press time he had not replied.

Rattansingh later told Sunday Newsday he and the union had met to try to resolve some of the issues, which he said were "non-crisis issues" that could largely be sorted out "around the table."

He said, "Miss Charles will tell you that at all times we have kept an open door."

Rattansingh said he had contentedly allowed the protest on the MTS compound. On wage-talks, he said the union must first submit their proposal for a particular percentage wage-hike to MTS, which then sends it to the Ministry of Public Utilities as the line ministry, which in turn sends it to the CPO. "All State agencies go to the CPO. I can't approve any negotiation outside the CPO."

Sunday Newsday asked about complaints that monies were deducted from wage-packs to go into workers' credit union accounts, but some such deposits were not being made.

Rattansingh said everything was above-board and this was simply a cash flow challenge in difficult times. He said his first priority was to pay salaries, something MTS has always succeeded in doing, even ahead of certain other state agencies. "MTS does not get a subvention from the government. We have clients."

Rattansingh said that to pay wages, the MTS must earn its keep, even competing in tenders against private firms which operated at a lower standard by hiring foreign staff at a lower cost. He said all MTS payments of PAYE and NIS were up to date to 2021. His responsibility is to 7,000 staff, with a monthly wage bill of $35 million, perhaps making MTS the country's largest employer.

Asked about concerns of possible underhandedness in a lack of deposits into credit unions, Rattansingh said that was not so but rather this was just a cash flow issue.

He recalled the MTS told a recent joint select committee (JSC) meeting that it was now owed a lot of money by various clients, similar to the situation internationally.

Rattansingh had faith this could be resolved by parties working together. He recalled that at the last wage negotiation, he had advocated for janitorial and security staff, represented by the MTS and Estate Police Association (EPA), to be considered ahead of any rises for management.

Rattansingh viewed his duty as being captain of a ship of 7,000 individuals, whom he must keep employed and paid monthly, even as he reflected, "These are difficult times."