Sen. Humphrey: The State is interfering

President General of the Technical and Allied Workers Union (TAWU), Senator Chester Humphrey has likened the ongoing industrial unrest at the St. George's Port to that of the 2000 strike at the Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN).

Senator Humphrey was at the time giving the media an update on the industrial impasse between the union and the Grenada Ports Authority over a new labour contract. He said there seems to be emerging a pattern similar to what happened in the GBN struggle where the then Minister of Labour, Lawrence Joseph remained inactive and only became involved after a long strike, and following the intervention of the conference of Churches of Grenada (CCG) to help resolve the dispute.

"The public will recall that at that time, during the GBN struggle certain senior persons in government had openly stated their intention to crush the Technical and Allied Workers Union, and that the GBN strike provided an opportunity for them to proceed to crush the union," he told reporters.

"We cannot understand how the Minister of Labour (Claris Charles) has remained so silent for so long where a dispute is unfolding in what is described as an essential service," he said.   During the press briefing, Sen. Humphrey that after three meetings with Labour Minister Charles, she failed to come up with a formula for resolving the dispute.

According to the TAWU boss, almost one month has elapsed since the union last met with the senior government minister. He suggested that even the Grenada Ports Authority (GPA) in its letter to the minister dated June 8 seemed to have complained that it cannot understand how a dispute in an essential services could be treated with such lack of urgency.

Two days after the press conference, the female government minister met with both warring parties and took the decision that there will be arbitration to deal with the issue. Sen. Humphrey said that as the union continues to reflect on what happened during the GBN struggle, it cannot help but notice that some of the personalities involved in that issue are re-emerging once again.

He made mention of then GBN manager, Troy Garvey whom, he said, was a central figure in the problem at the network had now re-emerged in the impasse on the port. Garvey is on contract with GPA as a communications specialist. He is also on the payroll of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) as a public relations specialist.
The trade union leader disclosed that Garvey in his capacity with the Police Force tried to contact him via telephone about the industrial dispute at the port.

"I do not understand what official role Mr. Garvey has as a Police Officer. He had attempted to establish contact with me, as I understand it on behalf of the police, and I refused to accord Mr. Garvey an audience because I do not recognise him as having any police matter, or any police status in any of these matters", he said.
"I am making this point because as a personality who played a prominent role against the workers in the GBN issue, he is now re-emerging in the port matter. The technique then used against the union in the GBN struggle is now re-appearing in the port struggle," he added.

Sen. Humphrey spoke of there now being a new development in the industrial impasse with the State machinery seemingly getting involved in the dispute. He said it is now clear that the union and its members are now expected "to confront the repressive machinery of the State."

The TAWU boss spoke about an initiative his union has taken in meeting with civil society to inform them about the issues surrounding the labour dispute at the Ports Authority.

The union met three weeks ago with CCG members and according to Humphrey, the union gave the church body an undertaking that it will suspend further industrial action, for the time being, in order to allow the Church a fair opportunity to assist both sides in resolving the issue.

"I want to emphasize the extent to which the union is going to avoid a blistering strike on the port," he said.