00:00Workers at the National Maintenance and Training and Security Company, NMTS, protested outside the company's South Regional Office on Monday.
00:09They're calling for the removal of a manager attached to the South Office over claims of unfair treatment, victimization and
00:16health and safety concerns.
00:17Reporter Cindy Ragobar, Tika Singh, was there and tells us more.
00:23Employees attached to the South Regional Office of NMTS on Monday called for the removal of a manager who they
00:30claim has made their working conditions worse than any before.
00:34You're not sending proper PPE on the location. Workers in last August didn't even have bleach soap. I don't know
00:40if you can go to them children, they didn't get sick.
00:43When you come to talk to them, he ain't telling you, he's running the show. What kind of thing is
00:47that? It's a dictatorship. We haven't stopped. We are tolerating that.
00:49Wrongful transfer, wrongful promotion in terms of promoting juniors in front of seniors.
00:57They're demoting people who already confirmed in positions for more than six years.
01:02I mean, in matter of fact, in 10 years. It's the first time I see a culture like that ever.
01:07There's many areas where there's no rooms. Workers are staying under steps in police stations.
01:12They say both the manager and the Transport and Industrial Workers Union have failed to take their concerns seriously.
01:21We had managers in the past and when they come to talk to them, they used to resolve the problem.
01:25He's not resolving. He's dictating the problem. We don't want it.
01:29We locked the office. I was supposed to report to work today because I was on a long vacation.
01:33Why reporting to? Who is paying me from today?
01:36Nothing is being done about it. The union is not standing up with us. Nobody is standing up with us.
01:41So we, the workers decided that it's time to make a stand to get this sorted out.
01:48See you, we union is in the better of our company.
01:53When contacted on the issues raised, TIWU President Sean Roberts says the union has been communicating and working with members.
02:02When it comes to the PP, right, we let the workers know, well, you know, the company, when it comes
02:12to finances,
02:13it says I've been under some pressure due to the fact that the government is waiting just because of a
02:18billion dollars, right?
02:20If you don't have no Papa PP, you need to sit down and wish for Papa PP so the workers
02:25are guiding accordingly, right?
02:28Also, when it comes to the chemicals, right? Workers choose.
02:32We are telling workers, if you have no chemicals, the place can be cleaned.
02:35But workers choose. Workers choose to still clean it. Sometimes they can in their pocket.
02:40He claims Monday's protest was organized by a group of disgruntled, expelled union members causing mischief.
02:49A handful of people that tried to bring the union in the city, China bad lights on the union, the
02:54company otherwise, right?
02:56Have been meeting with the union and we have been working together and we have to find some of these
03:01issues.
03:02At the end of the day, MTS is not perfect. At the end of the day, but they have been
03:08adhering and working with us.
03:09Attempts to contact officials at NMTS were unsuccessful up to Newstime.
03:16Cindy Raguba, Tika Singh, TV6 News.
03:20Well, the National Maintenance Training and Security Company has since responded.
03:25In a statement late this afternoon, MTS says it was made away of what it called an unsanctioned protest by
03:33a small group of people.
03:34The company says there are established and functioning mechanisms which employees can use to lodge grievances and seek redress.
03:42It encouraged employees to use these means to ensure properly documentation and objective reviews.
03:50MTS adds that it continues to engage with TiWu as the recognized majority union, as well as the Estate Police
03:58Association where applicable.
04:00P
