Last Updated on November 3, 2022, 6:41 AM AST by Anthony Morris
A group of SKELEC staff gathered at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure administration office on Tuesday, 1 November 2022. They demanded a meeting with the Minister to discuss their grievances over the past several years.
Minister of Public Infrastructure and Utilities, Transport, Information, Communication and Technology and Post, Konris Maynard shared an update on the meeting. He wrote on his Facebook account.
He wrote that he completely understands their frustrations. However, he revealed that since the election of the new Government Administration, there had been no formal or informal engagement, or request for attention, of the Management of SKELEC, the new Board of Directors of SKELEC, or my Ministry, by the aggrieved staff.
Therefore, Minister Konris Maynard stated that the SKELEC staff’s informal public demand to meet with him was procedurally premature and did not follow due process for professional industrial relations.
Consequently, Minister of Public Infrastructure and Utilities, Transport, Information, Communication and Technology and Post, Konris Maynard agreed that the proper course of action under this new dispensation is to first meet with the Management of SKELEC and formally register their grievances.
Following this, the Management, with the support of the new Board of Directors, must be afforded adequate time to respond and engage with staff to address any issues.
Minister Maynard Further noted that the Government is confident that the SKELEC Management, with the support of the new Board of Directors, is now well-positioned to address the internal problems of SKELEC.
The group of SKELEC staff peacefully dispersed and returned to work shortly after engaging with me. The minister convened a meeting with the Management and staff of SKELEC at 4 pm on Tuesday, 1 November 2022. In the meeting, Minister Maynard provided opening remarks outlining the importance of adhering to proper process.
Further, Minister Konris Maynard reaffirmed that, as a responsible Government, we will fully support the plight of workers once proper processes are followed and respected.
The remainder of the meeting proceeded in my absence so that the authorities could restart the proper process and staff and Management could have an opportunity to engage.
In the aftermath of the meeting, the officials informed Minister Konris Maynard that the meeting was respectful and successful and that staff was unanimous in striking off two items from the ‘List of Requests’ they had circulated across social media. These items were the request for re-assignment of SKELEC Senior Management and the request for the removal of a Director from the Board of Directors. The parties involved in the discussion agreed that the inclusion of these items to the ‘List of Requests’ did not reflect the wishes of the majority of the staff.
The Management and staff will now proceed internally to address the issues raised. With the support of the new Board of Directors, which the government appointed, the board looks forward to a much-improved synergy of work relations within SKELEC.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
