Publication: Sun on Saturday
Paper Page: 14
Paper Date: Sat, Feb 27, 1999
MOUNDS of garbage are piling up across Barbados, as supervisors and
superintendents from the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) stayed home for the
second straight day. Drivers and loaders reported for work at the various
depots, but once again there was no one to direct them in their duties.
President of the National Union of Public Workers Joseph Goddard turned up at the SSA's Wildey headquarters yesterday morning. He urged the drivers and loaders to go to work.
"Some of the workers are not working because there is no supervisor to supervise them. One of the senior managers was handing out waybills so they can go and do some work," he said.
Goddard expressed concern that if the workers did not go to work they would not be paid.
"The supervisors are on sick out, so they will be paid that is what we are trying to tell them. We don't have any dispute with the SSA neither did we get any request from our (union) colleagues for any assistance; so in protection of the workers, we are advising them to go out and work," he stressed.
He admitted that the shortage of trucks would severely hamper any collection effort.
"I heard that the Government had gone to get $7 million for a replacement fleet, but I don't see any trucks on the road. The men are very critical of the trucks, those that are not road worthy, people cannot really go and drive them," Goddard said.
The NUPW represents the drivers, loaders, clerical staff and drains and street cleaners. The supervisors and superintendents, who are represented by the Barbados Workers' Union, stayed off the job protesting a lack of tools, poor working conditions and the length of time it was taking to carry out a re-grading exercise.
SSA general manager Chris Griffith said he was
able to keep the Mangrove Pond Landfill open yesterday, but it only received
refuse from private contractors.