B.N.T.U. Likely to Follow P.S.U.’s Lead in Serving G.O.B. Notice

Elena Smith

According to Senator Smith, notwithstanding the fact that the P.S.U. is taking the lead on serving government notice, their collaboration with other labor organizations will present a unified position.

Isani Cayetano

“If the P.S.U. takes the lead in serving government with a twenty-one day notice, where would the B.N.T.U. fall in that timeline in terms of trying to harmonize efforts?”

Senator Elena Smith, National President, B.N.T.U.

“Well, I think we have to understand that when we get to the point of industrial action that industrial action comes in different phases, in different levels.  And so, while we may not be doing the same thing at the same time or while we may not be able to do certain things that the P.S.U. can do, for example, while certain actions might be easier for them to do than for us as teachers to do, at some point we will be united and so we have to ensure that when our members give us those positions, we have to have a meeting as joint unions to look at what those are and to see how we plan going forward. For the government to now get out there in the media and say to our people that we were nice to the unions and, you know what, the leaders accepted but the unions don’t want to accept and we are being fair in these discussions.  You are not being fair.  It can’t be fair when you come to us with a position when we are hearing from those involved that, listen, the budget is already prepared and the ten percent is included.  How fair can that be?  What kind of chance are you giving us to say let us truly sit down and discuss and negotiate this matter and come to a mutual agreement.  If you are not willing to move your goalpost from where you are and it has to be sixty or nothing, that’s not how we negotiate.  That’s not how we consult.  You don’t consult by coming to tell me, I will do this and it matters not what you say, I will still do this.”