– Badal says workers have lost confidence in union
Clerical and Commercial Worker’s Union (CCWU) workers’ representative at the Pegasus Hotel is claiming that new owner Robert Badal wants to get rid of the union, but Badal says it is the employees who have expressed a lack of confidence in the union.
As the two sides prepare to meet today at the Ministry of Labour to discuss the matter, a representative of the union, who says he has been working at the hotel for six years, said Badal has been pushing to have the hotel’s workers de-unionised since he took over its management in May of last year.
The employee said that last year November a proposal was submitted to Badal for an amendment of the Collective Labour Agreement between the hotel and the CCWU, to which he has not responded to date.
Further, the representative claimed that working conditions at the hotel are not up to standard and he claimed that the department production incentive (DPI) and travel allowance were cut from the workers’ paycheques. “Since he come on board, he trying to cut back on things that were there for a number of years,” the representative added.
When Stabroek News contacted Badal, he questioned why he would want to do such a thing, “I can’t want to disband the union. How will I do that? If employees have no confidence they are free to reject the union.”
Badal added that it was the employees who have expressed their lack of confidence in the union while reiterating that he does not want the union dissolved. “I don’t understand where these complaints are coming from.”
Badal said he had requested a meeting with the union but instead the union went to the Ministry of Labour and again he questioned the union’s motive stating that he was not in a position to reject the union.
The parties meet today at 11 am. Asked about cuts in the DPI and travel allowances, Badal said that at no time was benefits cut back, adding that since he took over of the hotel benefits were increased.
When asked about this, the representative admitted that the household staff received an increase in salary but said this was not in relation to the incentives and allowances.
Badal declined to comment further on the issue, saying it was a matter that had to be sorted out between the union and the employees. Badal said he would wait until after today’s meeting with the Labour Ministry before adding more.
The proposal
Meanwhile, in the proposal which was submitted to Badal last November, and seen by this newspaper, the union proposed a 15% pay increase, which was agreed to by the hotel and took effect on November 1, 2009 for monthly and fortnightly em-ployees. The proposal also stated that night premiums should be no less than $1,000.
In relation to leave, the proposal requested that the company agree to grant not more than four persons maximum leave of two weeks in any one year with pay for the purpose if attending trade union seminars or conferences. The proposal also asked that employees receive a $500 allowance for meals each day while on annual leave.
Finally, the proposal sought to have persons who have worked from one year up to and including ten continuous service to be paid three weeks per annum in severance pay upon retirement, while employees with over ten years service be paid four weeks per annum up to 104 weeks.
Persons who are leaving the hotel’s employ, it added, should receive ex-gratia payment which will be calculated on a three weeks’ pay for each completed year for persons who have worked for at least five years; while for person who have given 11 years of continuous service payment should be calculated on the basis of four weeks’ pay up to a maximum of 104 weeks.
The union also sought to include in the new agreement provision for leave passage assistance which is to be 50% of salary or equivalent of one fortnight pay annually for workers who have completed one year and up to four years if service. For workers who have served for five years or more, the proposal is for one-month’s salary as leave passage assistance.
