A rift within the leadership of the Public Workers Union (PWU) appears to have widened this week.
The union has since announced plans for the holding of a special annual general meeting for PWU members on Wednesday to discuss among other things the upcoming salaries negotiations with government, and “other union matters”.
PWU President, Rachel Roberts was noticeably absent from a news conference Monday, called to refute a report in last week’s issue of THE NEW TODAY about problems within the PWU executive.
The news conference was presided over by 2nd Vice President Arthur Pierre and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Daisy Hazzard along with Secretary Agatha Alexis, Treasurer Paula Phillip and Assistant Secretary Margaret Goddard.
“We became aware of the article in the newspaper just over the weekend so this news conference was hastily put together,” Hazzard said at Monday’s news conference, referring to the officers present as “just a faction” of the Executive council.
“We thought it was incumbent on us to address our workers and the media”, she added.
No reference was made to the President in an opening statement by Pierre and her absence was not addressed until questioned by the media.
This newspaper later learnt that there was no agreement by the entire Executive Council to hold a news conference and that it went ahead without the blessing of the President.
An article in the July 11 issue of this newspaper focused on reports of problems within the Executive including difficulties encountered in trying to hold council meetings.
However, Roberts who spoke to THE NEW TODAY on Monday admitted that the actions of some members of the Executive Council have been frustrating the union’s efforts to conduct the business of the membership.
According to the PWU boss, who was reached by telephone soon after the news conference, they have called numerous meetings but have been unable to advance much of the Union’s business because of frequent absences, lateness and executive members excusing themselves early from sessions.
She pointed out that on most occasions they have not been able to formulate the necessary quorum and key business and decisions have had to be deferred to a later date, hindering their progress in serving the interests of the membership.
During the news conference, Pierre told reporters the Executive Council has had seventeen meetings so far.
When asked to account for the unusual absence of the Union President at a news event held for the purpose of addressing newspaper reports of disunity, the PRO said the news conference was “hastily put together” because they “did not want members to speculate about the state of the Union”.
Hazzard claimed that they had been in telephone communication with the President but Roberts neither confirmed nor denied this when quizzed by this newspaper.
When THE NEW TODAY contacted Roberts minutes after the news conference she seemed to be under the impression that the Union had been planning to issue a news release to address remarks made by Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell in Montreal, instead of the news briefing which was held at Union Headquarters in Tanteen.
When asked for a reason for her absence Roberts did not give a direct answer but said, “I respect the organisation highly and I will do everything in my power to ensure its image remains untarnished”.
Roberts is leading an executive team believed to be in support of Brian Grimes who had been rejected by the general membership for leadership.
Grimes has been known to be highly critical of Roberts’ leadership while he served as PWU PRO in the last term and was often accused of making public statements regarding union affairs without the knowledge of the President.
Several members of the new PWU executive, elected in March, were part of a slate of candidates whom Grimes had chosen as his running mates, in his failed bid for the presidency.
2nd Vice President Pierre on Monday dismissed the reports of dissension within the ranks of the Executive Council as, “a decoy to distract from the serious issues affecting the Union”.
The Public Workers Union is involved in long and protracted negotiations with government regarding the gratuity percentage for public officers when they retire from the service.
“I categorically state that the naked piece of propaganda carried in the paper is calculated in its intent to sow seeds of discord that does not have the interest of workers nor the labour movement at heart,” he said.
“We refute it in its totality”, he added.
However Roberts’ absence from Monday’s news conference, without a plausible explanation from the Executive Council could indicate that there is indeed a split in the leadership.
Roberts was not the only executive member who failed to show at the news conference.
This newspaper understands that Roberts’ leadership had been criticised during the last term of office because it was felt that the Union needed to take a heavier stance against government and that not enough pressure was applied in pension and gratuity negotiations.
The gratuity matter is now before the court for resolution.
“We need to sit our members down and have a chat about that so they can fully understand what’s happening then we will decide what the next step will be,” said Pierre.
However, despite his strong condemnation of the news report Pierre later admitted that there are problems within PWU leadership, while offering the contradictory assurance that “all is well”.
He said, “The Union’s business is the Union’s business and it’s the business of the members of the union. There are some issues that we must deal with and we believe it will be prudent not necessarily to deal with it in the eye of the public but to deal with it among the members. As in any and every organisation there are issues.”
According to Pierre, from the beginning of their term almost five months ago, the new executive members had been critical of how Union matters were being handled.
“When we came in as the new executive there were issues that certainly we highlighted. There were weaknesses that we certainly highlighted.
“…I believe persons here are serious, they are committed and they are doing everything according to the correct principles so that the union can move forward.
“I could say vehemently that the persons who sit as union executive are working and they are working within the principles of transparency and accountability to ensure the strength of the union.
“I Arthur Pierre, 2nd Vice President of the Public Workers Union, by the God that I serve, rebuke and condemn this article and we stand as a united force in this union to ensure that we move forward successfully.
This newspaper understands that a faction within the Executive Council has discussed the possibility of trying to oust Roberts through a Motion of No Confidence.
However, some members of the Council are confident that no such motion will prevail if brought before the general body of workers who chose to reinstall Roberts in the last PWU election.