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HOME	OCTOBER 01st, 2005

The Grenada Trades Union Council (GTUC) has distanced itself from a statement put out by government that it had issued an apology to Labour Minister Claris Charles who was called a "liar" by the President of one of their affiliates, Senator Chester Humphrey of the Technical and Allied Workers Union (TAWU).

An official statement released by government said that Minister Charles had "accepted an apology from members of the Trade Union Council for the behaviour of TAWU President Chester Humphrey".

According to the release the apology was issued by GTUC at a meeting which the female government minister had with a council delegation that included First vice-President Madonna Harford and 2nd vice-President, Marvin Andall.

The TUC had decided to meet with the minister to discuss the current impasse between TAWU and Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) on wage increases for workers engaged in a number of road construction projects on the island.

The official release said that Harford acting on behalf of the Trade Union Movement "apologised for any discourtesy the TAWU President may have displayed to the Office of the Minister of Labour".

The TUC denied that this had happened and issued the following release:

On Friday September 23, 2005, a TUC delegation comprising: Sis. Madonna Harford, 1st Vice President, Bro. Marvin Andall, 2nd Vice President, Bro. Ray Roberts, General Secretary and Bro. Bert La. Touche, Trustee, met with Minister for Labour, Hon Claris Charles.

The purpose of the TUC meeting with the Minister was to seek to discuss and help to bring an end to the impasse in the TAWU/CCC negotiations with the Labour Minister.

TUC expressed its regret and concern over the situation and urged the Labour Minster to meet with TAWU to resolve the issue. Several other issues were discussed including:

(1). The current dispute between Demerara Mutual Life and its workers represented by CIWU,
(2). The need for stability in the country after hurricane Ivan and Emily
(3). The need for good industrial relations practices.
(4). Urgent attention to the filling of existing vacancies and the strengthening of the Labour Department.

It was agreed that the Labour Minister would meet with TAWU and such a meeting had been scheduled for Wednesday, October 5, 2005 at 9:00 a.m. and the Labour Minister requested of the TUC, that a representative be presented at the said meeting.

Despite the release issued on Friday 23 September 2005, TUC could not have issued an apology for the behaviour of TAWU's President General - Bro. Chester Humphrey since he is responsible for his own actions and remains totally unapologetic.

TUC had absolutely no input in the releases that were broadcast and published on Friday 23 September 2005.

Meanwhile, TAWU has also issued a statement on the issue indicating that it has no intention of retracting the statement that the Labour Minister was not speaking the truth on the issue.

It said in part: "The Technical and Allied Workers' Union maintains that the Hon. Claris Charles, Minister for Labour, lied when she said publicly that her office contacted the Technical and Allied Workers' Union through its 1st Vice President, Mr. Gordon Raeburn, to invite it to a mediation meeting connected to the current labour dispute with Consolidated Contractors Company.

"The Technical and Allied Workers' Union wishes to make it clear that no one has been authorized to offer any apology on its behalf and while the Union does not think that this was actually done, for the avoidance of doubt, the Union and its President General disassociate themselves from any apology which may have been made on its behalf.

"The Union repeats that it did not disrespect the office of the Minister for Labour and that all it did was to state a fact and that fact is that the Minister lied".

TAWU has also approached the court to seek an Order of Mandamus to have the Labour Minister fulfill her legal obligations and to convene a meeting between the warring partners in order to settle the dispute.