Security workers losing patience with union

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – A former supervisor, speaking on behalf of former Complete Security workers, yesterday, described the Antigua Trades and Labour Union’s threat of legal action against their former employer as “a bluff.”

Complete Security closed its doors in December and is yet to pay severance and nearly three months’ wages despite a promise to do so by January 6.

Audi Browne, the supervisor who has now become the spokesman for the group, said the workers have lost confidence in the union’s general secretary, Alrick Daniel.

“We were told by the 6th of the month that we would possibly get our money and we met Mr Daniel, and Mr Daniel told us that he’s too busy to deal with the matter, and while we were standing there Mr Daniel just drove past the building without any signal to us,” he said, adding that the workers have already begun talks with a view to switching to the Antigua Workers Union.

Attempts to get Daniel’s comment on the development failed up to press time.

Daniel threatened to take the matter to court after the workers showed up on Friday as instructed in their termination letters only to leave without their money.

Meantime … the troubles of the workers have reached the attention on the labour mister who yesterday promised that the Labour Division would conduct a probe into worker abuses within the security industry.

Browne said the promised intervention is timely.

“It brings a bit of satisfaction, because today (Monday) school even open right, and I have my two children who I have to pay school fee for, and I have to go to the teacher to actually ask her to hold on a while, give me until sometime during the month to actually get all the money for her, and that is not fair,” he said.