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PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH OPPOSITION ON THE PORT ISSUE |
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Friday June 15th 2007, St. George’s: Prime Minister, Dr. the Rt. Keith Mitchell, met and held talks with Members of Her Majesty’s Opposition on Friday 15th June, 2007, with the aim of coming up with solutions to resolve the impasse between the Grenada Ports Authority (GPA) and the Technical and Allied Workers Union (TAWU) The Grenada Ports Authority and the Technical and Allied Workers Union Both are seeking to enter into a new wage agreement, with the issue of equal work for equal pay being the bone of contention.
The Port operations have since been frustrated over the issue, with the Union sporadically staging protest action.
In looking at the issue, Prime Minister Mitchell and Members of the Opposition examined the impact an industrial dispute at the Port can have on the country’s economy.
Dr. Mitchell said if left unchecked, the dispute could seriously interfere with the economic lifeblood of the country and everything should be done as far as possible to bring about a resolution.
Port Authority General Manager, Mr. Ambrose Phillip, explained that while in some cases, the nature of work appear similar, conditions are totally different.
He stated that the equal work for equal pay principle must be fully defined and is not an issue to be addressed locally.
Noting the difficulty with the Union’s proposal, Mr. Phillip, emphasized that it cannot be done overnight. The Grenadian Leader expressed his satisfaction with the spirit of the discussion.
Dr. Mitchell, however, did not hesitate to make it clear that all parties should be on the same page, in order to arrive at the best possible solution at this time.
Among persons present at the meeting were Opposition Leader, Hon. Tillman Thomas, Minister in the Ministry of National Security, Senator Einstein Louison, Hon. Nazim Burke, and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Lennox Andrews. |