Postal workers were fuming yesterday after they were informed that managers and supervisors of TTPost got a wage hike but they did not.
The workers, who are working on 2010 salaries, are now threatening to take legal action over the decision not to sign a new salary agreement with them.
At a media briefing yesterday, general secretary of the T&T Postal Workers’ Union (TTPWU), David Forbes, said, “Heads should roll for this. We will take them to court. Because it is Christmas they think we were sleeping and they could do what they want and apply the increase without engaging the union,” he said.
Speaking at the union’s El Dorado office, Forbes said he was told that the settlement for management was a disrespect to the union and called for the managing director of TTPost Reynold Baldeosingh to “pack his briefs.”
He said the postal union represented all workers. Forbes said the offer to settle with the management was reasonable but declined to give details.
A representative of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) Peter Burke, who attended the press briefing, said JTUM was supportive of the postal workers.
He said what occurred amounted to bad industrial relations practice and “union busting.”
In response, Baldeosingh said the management received an offer from the CPO on December 8, via the permanent secretary, for salary increases to middle management and other supervisory staff.
“The letter clearly stated that the CPO did not recognise the TTPWU as the bargaining union for the period 2011 to 2014. This information was submitted to the union in writing together with the offer for the staff. The management did not make a direct offer to the 17 staff (members),” he said.
Baldeosingh said he was aware that the union subsequently held a meeting with the relevant staff and conveyed the CPO’s offer.
He said staff members wrote to management acknowledging they received the offer via the union and that they had accepted the offer and were asking that it be implemented.
“Bearing in mind that the CPO did not recognise the union for this period and that the management is not authorised to sign a collective agreement with the union for this category of staff for the period, management is unable to do so,” he said.
Baldeosingh said the new salaries were implemented effective December 16.
Despite this turn of events, there have been no problems with the delivery of the mail, Forbes said.