CABLE & WIRELESS WORKERS VOTE IN MASS IN UNION BALLOT

Thursday, 03 December 2015 12:42

Cable & Wireless workers vote

in masS in union ballot

Workers of the two Bargaining Units represented by the Technical and Allied Workers’ Union at Cable & Wireless - Generalised Staff and Management Employees - this morning unanimously voted to accept the Hon. Elvin Nimrod, Minister for Labour recommendations in respect of the two issues in dispute between the Company and the Union.

The two issues are wage increases for the period 2012 - 2013, 2013 - 2014 and 2014 - 2015 and the Vehicle Buy Out (VBO) payment arising out of changes to the Travel Allowance for Managerial Employees.

The Union had emphasised and pointed to the fact that Cable & Wireless never argued their inability to pay and that only in the ‘last 6 months to September this year had cut approximately 560 workers from its  payroll realising a US$70 million cost savings on a run rate basis by the end of its current fiscal year’, and that according to the Company’s CEO Mr. Phil Bentley, it spent over US$3 billion for the buyout of Columbus Communications and as a result  it will realise savings of an overall US$124 million reduction in cost as a result of the merger of FLOW into Cable & Wireless. Added to that there is an expected yield of a  further US$18 million in annual savings arising from contract cancelations.

Remarkably, Cable and Wireless group revenue totalled US$1.2 billion for the 6 months to September reflecting an increase of 4% over the same period last year and is EBITDA rose by 4% to US$427 million driven largely by its Caribbean business which registered profit growth of 22%.  It is against this background that the Union feels very strongly that the 4% increase per year is conservatively reasonably and fair in all of the circumstances.

The Union has also conducted an industrial action ballot to position the Union if it becomes necessary to take industrial action on Cable and Wireless including the withdrawal of labour to force a settlement in the issue. At the time of this release the secret industrial action ballot was still underway with workers in Carriacou, Grenville, Mt. Hartman, St. George’s and Grand Anse expected to complete the vote before the close of work today.

Commenting on the very successful meeting with the workers this morning which was attended by all section of the workers within the two Bargaining Units included Carriacou by teleconference President General Chester Humphrey expressed deep satisfaction and a reassurance of confidence with the militant mood of the workers which provaded the meeting. Meanwhile, TAWU has issued a statement of solidarity with the Cable and Wireless workers in Antigua who were off the job since Tuesday.

Workers casting their ballot