Union Blasts Labour Chief Over “Unlawful Ultimatums”

The Public Service Union’s frustration with government isn’t easing, it’s spreading. After blasting the Transport C.E.O. and the Financial Secretary over a cancelled SARA meeting, PSU President Dean Flowers is now turning his fire toward the Labour Commissioner. He accuses her of failing to enforce the Labour Act and leaving terminal officers exposed to what he calls unlawful ultimatums. Flowers says proper oversight could have prevented the fallout, and he’s questioning why the union, the bargaining agent, was never brought to the table. Here’s his sharp criticism.

 

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“If the labor commissioner was doing her job, that meeting that was canceled would’ve never been canceled because she would’ve been there to, to chair that meeting. If the labor commissioner was doing her job these surprises that the tax officers in SARA, or in BTSD are going through, these surprises that took these officers in the Ministry of Transport; she has a duty and an obligation to ensure that workers rights and the Labor Act is respected and followed. Where is the labor commissioner in all of this? She meets with them from what the CEO informed me that they met with the labor commissioner. If they met with the labor commissioner, the Labor Commissioner then has a duty and a responsibility to ensure that they are present when these type of communication are being delivered to the workers. And the labor Commissioner has a duty and an obligation to ensure that the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Finance, communicate with the legal bargaining agent. What then becomes the purpose of the child, prioritized body and the Labor Advisory Board? If the Labor Commissioner will not call employers accountable to follow the law and to respect collective bargaining agreements? And this is what happens when we corrupt and pervert the recruitment processes in public service. This is exactly what happens. People assume offices that they come up that they leave a whole lot to be desired. And then when you hold them accountable and you critique constructively their poor performance, oh, it’s personal, oh, it’s political. Hell no, it’s not. It’s not. It’s holding you accountable. You ask for a job. You are given a job. Do your job, please do your job.”

 

Flowers says this latest criticism boils down to one message for the Labour Commissioner, step up, enforce the law, and protect the workers who are depending on her.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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