The Tribune

Last night, The Water and Sewerage Corporation fired back at what it saw as a “sudden, ill-advised and unreasonable press conference held by Dwayne Woods”.

It said: “WSC rejects, in its entirety, these groundless assertions. At no time has the Corporation’s Executives sought to ignore, disregard or disrespect our employees. Mr Woods’ assertion that the Corporation has sought to roll back benefits in OUR Industrial Agreement - which binds and governs both parties - is completely and patently false.”

The WSC went on to address particular issues including:

• Responsibility allowance is not an automatic entitlement to staff.

• As with any business, promotions are strictly within the purview of theentity in question. The Corporation - based on the suitability of a candidate for promotion - reserves the right to promote deserving and meritorious employees. This is not within the union’s purview.

• In recent months, the accounts department raised a red flag about the abuse of overtime in Abaco. Frankly, the matter was so egregious that it was referred to our Internal Control and Compliance investigatory division and elevated to the Board of Directors. It was discovered that a handful of persons assigned to the Abaco restoration exercise had accrued astounding amounts of overtime, with claims of 200 and 300 hours of overtime in October

• No employee has been disenfranchised by the Corporation. Such a claim is fabricated and deceitful. * Travel allowances are issued to employees who travel on behalf of WSC for various workrelated projects. Beyond their per diem, staff members are required for account for each portion of this allowance with a detailed expense report and/or refunding the Corporation.

• We are quite disappointed that Mr Woods refers to the illnesses of two of our human resources managers as being representative of a collapse of the Human Resources Department. Such a charge is false and unbecoming.

• WSC is unaware of the 28 items that Mr. Woods claims is in breach of the Industrial Agreement. His commentary is simply false.

• This evening, we received reports that Mr Woods is encouraging staff throughout the islands to engage in an illegal sick-out on Thursday and Friday of this week. If this illegal action is undertaken by staff members, it is expected that these staff members provide the Corporation with a sick note; subject themselves to inspection by the Corporation’s Industrial Nurse; and, failing the above, WSC would be left with no choice but to deduct the time from staff pay.