BWU/LIME talks start

The long awaited talks between the Barbados Worker’s Union (BWU), telecommunications company, LIME and Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo have begun at the offices of the Labour Department, Warrens Government Complex, Warrens, St. Michael.
Sir Roy Trotman, general secretary of the BWU told NATIONNews as he was walking into the main conference room at Warrens, St Michael that today’s session was long overdue and that he was hoping they would be able to make up for lost time.
“I’m hoping that we can cut to the chase and get to the issues. I say issues because there is more than one and we would like to see them addressed as a matter of urgency because the workers of Cable & Wireless are not prepared to wait indefinitely,” he noted.
Earlier this morning, the Labour Minister held discussions with the management of LIME.
These sessions are seen as a last ditch effort to resolve a long standing impasse between the BWU and Cable & Wireless/LIME, over wages agreement.
The union had been asking for a 17 per cent increase for workers at the telecommunications company, while LIME has been holding its ground at seven per cent. This led to the discussions stalling at the level of the Chief Labour Officer, Vincent Burnett, three weeks ago.