Wednesday, March 10 2010

The Banking Insurance and General Workers Union (BIGWU) is calling on Independent Senator Michael Annisette to support the Public Services Association (PSA) stance on the TT Revenue Authority Bill (TTRA).

In a release, BIGWU appealed to Annisette in keeping with the trade union principles of solidarity and said if a similar situation developed at the Port Authority, trade unions will be expected to support the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU). Annisette is the President of SWWTU.

BIGWU said, “International precedence for lending support to the representative workers’ organisation”. The union said it rejected productivity and corruption as the two reasons proposed by the government in relation to the Board of Inland Revenue and Customs.

BIGWU said there is always room for improvement of productivity and productivity levels have not been measured within BIR and customs.

BIGWU said under the TTRA it will be easier to fire workers since the due process afforded by the Public Service Commission would be removed.

It said the TTRA will exercise a less regulated industrial relations system. The union said checks and balances should be improved to deal with corruption. BIGWU said, “We are not aware that co-determination exists within the Public Sector, so it is the responsibility of the management to deal with corruption”.

The union said if it supported the establishment of the TTRA, it would be supporting the dismantling of the entire public service.