The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE government has advised the Water and Sewerage Corporation to reinstate the three employees who were formerly accused of stealing a fire hydrant from their employer “as soon as possible”, the corporation’s union chief Dwayne Woods said yesterday.

Mr Woods said both the minister and the director of labour further advised the corporation that Lejaith Paul, Kerven Pierre and Latario Bowe should be compensated for any losses they incurred, and to retract the suspension placed on them as a result of court proceedings.

Mr Woods consequently begged the corporation to “do the honorable thing” and reinstate the three men, charging that failing to do so would result in a “contentious” issue between the corporation and unionised staff.

Paul, Pierre, and Bowe were previously charged on one count each of stealing by reason of employment.

It was alleged they stole a fire hydrant valued at $1,024.93 from the WSC property on John F Kennedy Drive, which they had access to by reason of their employment.

They stood trial before Magistrate Samuel McKinney earlier this year, with key witnesses WSC Deputy General Manager Robert Deal and his administrative assistant Donna Petty giving sworn evidence.

The case against the three men was ultimately dropped earlier this month.

Yesterday, Mr Woods told The Tribune subsequent to the case being dropped, the union wrote to the corporation concerning the reinstatement of the three men.

The union also pursued the matter to the labour board, after or during which Labour Minister Dion Foulkes and Director of Labour John Pinder advised the corporation to reinstate the men, compensate them for any losses they incurred and retract their suspensions.

“And this is exactly what the union was saying all along,” Mr Woods said yesterday.

“We try our best to work out our matters with the corporation internally. This whole ordeal that these fellows was put through has traumatised the whole organisation as far as the employees are concerned, and I guess as soon as the corporation reinstates them, the union and the corporation would probably be ready to work feverishly together to continually boost the morale of the corporation moving forward.

“So we’re looking for great things to happen as soon as these persons are reinstated.”

He added: “I must unequivocally say that the employees are sitting and waiting with anticipation that this reinstatement takes place, because none of them feel safe on the job anymore, and this will be a contentious matter if it’s not done. So we beg and plead with the corporation to do the honourable thing”.

Mr Woods said while Paul, Pierre and Bowe feel as though their “rights were violated” because of the allegations levied against them, the three men are looking to be reinstated both “enthusiastically and egotistically”.

“They’re looking for the reinstatement to take place, and every day they’re calling and asking ‘what day we gone come back to work, what day we gone come back to work’,” Mr Woods said.

“They put pressure on the executives of the union to see that they get in. That’s where they are now.”

The Tribune made contact with WSC Chairman Adrian Gibson yesterday to find out if the corporation would heed the advice given it, however, at the time he was contacted, Mr Gibson told The Tribune he was in a board meeting.

Nonetheless, Mr Woods told The Tribune the union hopes the corporation heeds the advice of the Messrs Foulkes and Pinder. Otherwise, he hinted at the possibility of industrial action.

“The union has two options,” Mr Woods said. “One is to work along with the corporation on reinstatement and I guess if the corporation fails to reinstate then we got to appeal to the stakeholders to do the honorable thing. And if the stakeholders fail us then we have to resort to our greatest weapon, whatever that may be. Whether it be withdrawal of enthusiasm or whatever. That’s the final straw that the union will have.

“But it is our hope..we hope and pray we don’t have to get to that.”

He added: “…So my thing is I’m doing my endeavor best to keep them (employees) on the straight and narrow as far as ill feeling toward the corporation, and I guess we’ll sit down with the corporation and see how we could resolve the matter amicably by probably working with them in some other way, or awarding them some type of incentive to let the situation go away.”