…And NTUCB place on Housing Oversight Committee in sight
While the postponement qualifies as a victory, the N.T.U.C.B. is keeping its fingers crossed and still hoping for a place on the Venezuelan Grant and Housing oversight Committee. Minister of Housing Michael Finnegan, said on July twenty-seventh that the ship has passed and the train had moved on and the N.T.U.C.B. would have to catch it at the next junction. Well, it seems the union is close to that intersection. During yesterday’s meeting with the union, the P.M. committed to going back to Cabinet to reconsider its initial position that blocked N.T.U.C.B. from taking part.
Michael Finnegan, Minister of Housing (July 27, 2009)
“I don’t know that ship is already gone. That train has moved on. They will have to catch it at the next junction and as far as I am concerned, the decision won’t be mine, that is a decision for Cabinet. But as far as I am concerned, that is a no, no. But if I was to make the decision it was to make the decision, that is a complete no, no.”
Javier Roberts, General Secretary, N.T.U.C.B.
“Like we’ve been saying, we never said that we didn’t want to participate. There was probably just a level of miscommunication between the ministry, N.T.U.C.B. and Cabinet and when we met with the prime minister, we reiterated our position and he agreed to take that back to Cabinet and see if they would reconsider their position. Like I said, whether the boat has left or train has left, it’s an oversight committee and in the nature of the name, we can always participate at whatever level the project is in currently.”
Jose Sanchez
“Do you feel confident that Cabinet will really, truly reconsider?”
Javier Roberts
“Well, I cannot speak for Cabinet. We just hope that they reconsider their position. It’s in the best interest of everyone concerned that there is an independent party outside of government to oversee the whole project.”
There were other agreements tabled at the heart to heart with the union. Prime Minister Barrow agreed to look at the possibility of lifting the injunction on the Merlene Bailey-Martinez D.F.C. report to be made public and available to the D.P.P. and also to amend the D.F.C. Act to allow the union representation on the Board of Directors. The N.T.U.C.B. and the PM also agreed on a timeline to enact the amendments to the labour law that would allow for the implementation of ILO convention, which insists for employers to provide a reason for terminating a worker. The union’s executives also discussed a move to speed up the process to settle long standing disputes the union has with B.E.L. and B.T.L.
