BTL's Communication Workers Union launched industrial action at noon today. The workers are on work to rule, and as of Monday will start a go slow.
Their issue continues to be what they consider unfair treatment regarding the 20% shares that had been promised to them. But now, the union says its own Chairman has disrespected them. How? Well last week we told you that the Chairman Keith Arnold bypassed the Union and wrote to individual employees explaining how they could participate in the trust. The union wrote back, objecting to being ignored, and asking for clarification about his offer by noon today. That clarification never came and with that the union launched a programme of industrial action. Union executive members Paul and Christine Perriot explained their position and told us how far they plan to take it.
Paul Perriot, BCWU President
"We sent that letter with certain timelines requesting copies of (the deed of) this trust company that they have formed for the employees and we requested for those to be handed over today and as of 12 today we haven't received anything with regards to that."
Jules Vasquez,
But you all have received a letter from the Chairman saying that this is not his area of concern and if you want to know about the trust deed, write to the trustees at Sunshine Holdings Limited on North Front Street.
Paul Perriot,
"As I said, and we must respond to him, but we have responded in our letters instituting industrial action. But as we had mentioned, the letter came from him in his capacity as Sunshine trustee, he sent the letter from Sunshine trust or whatever, so we were responding to him. He is the Chairman of BTL and so he is, in his capacity, the person that we need to have these discussions with."
Jules Vasquez,
So in your mind he is being needlessly evasive?
Paul Perriot,
"Exactly, by his response he is being so."
Jules Vasquez,
And so your response is, 'that we asked for something, we did not receive it, its important to us and so industrial action.'
Paul Perriot,
"Right Jules. I guess the company, and by extension whoever is controlling the company, believes that we are of no consequence so I guess that is where we start with our industrial action."
Jules Vasquez,
You all have said a work to rule as of today and a go-slow effective Monday. How effective do you think this will be in achieving your goal and will you all have the support to continue to carry it forward?
Christine Perriot, BCWU Secretary
"Jules I think its going to be very effective. Work to rule, right now you work to your minimum requirement of your job description which is 8 to 12 and 1 to 5. Right now at BTL we have a lot of call-outs that we do, a lot of after hours work, a lot of Saturdays and Sundays and through 12 and 1. Effective today none of those will occur, nothing, not even emergency; after 5 that is it. When we do the go slow, that is simply what it says, everything you do, you will be doing the work but it is just that you're doing it very slow. So it's going to be very effective on the company."
Paul Perriot,
"We will keep it up as long as the membership is in full support. We have the membership behind us right now and as long as we keep on giving them information, there is sometime or the other that Michael Ashcroft has to come and talk to us the employees. We have not been asking for two much Jules. In our letter to them we did not ask for too much, we just asked for specific information that we needed to continue to purchase the 20% shareholding but so far say they have refused and I will say again that we will continue this thing until the members decide that this is where we stop."
7NEWS understands that the Public Service Union executive will also meet tonight to consider the possibility of also launching industrial action.
