by MARIA BRADSHAW

THE National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) is once again calling for the establishment of a Statutory Board Commission.

President Walter Maloney told the media during a Press conference that the firing of Stanton Alleyne by the Sanitation Service Authority Board proved that the commission was needed.

Maloney said the NUPW had been calling for a Statutory Board commission to be set up and working similarly to the Public Service Commission.

"It will take away a lot of the ambiguity which we have seen coming out of this issue", he stated, adding that with the proliferation of boards there needed to be an oversight authority.

He explained that the setting up of a commission was on the statute books but it had not been enacted.

The NUPW president said that the organisation was disturbed about the handling of the SSA manager's dismissal.

"In light of what happened, the organisation had no other option than to call support behind Mr Alleyne because we think he has been treated unfairly," he said.

General Secretary Dennis Clarke said that disciplinary procedures were in place at the SSA and they applied to the manager back down to the maid.

Clarke also dismissed claims by the Board that it had followed public service regulations, stating that those regulations were not for employees of statutory boards.

Waving the regulations in his hand, he stated it did not apply to employees of statutory boards and furthermore the document set out the right of the public officer to appeal a decision.

The union charged that the board acted as prosecutor, judge and jury.