UBIW’s 3 Claims To The Council Of Ministers This Friday

The Minister of Transport, Alan Ganoo, will take them to the Council of Ministers on Friday 19^th November. The Union of Bus Industry Workers, UBIW, presented three key claims to the Ministry in the presence of the Commissioner of the National and Land Transport Authority on the afternoon of Wednesday 17^th November

Breaking the transmission chain

The reason the UBIW has mobilised so strongly is to ensure that “workers are less exposed, to break the chain of transmission that is driven more by the use of public transport and to realign the rights of all workers,” says Alain Kistnen, secretary of the union. According to the latest count, the National Transport Corporation (CNT) has recorded 90 positive employees and 5 deaths, at the National Rose-Hill Transport (RHT) 10 positive cases and 28 positive at the Triolet Bus Service (TBS). “The cases are dynamic and we cannot have a complete picture of all transport workers. This is why we want the Minister Alan Ganoo to intervene,” adds Alain Kistnen.

Claims

During the meeting, only three claims were put forward and accepted. They had to reduce their demands because this is a first phase that will be tested on a one-month basis.

• The first claim is the restoration of sanitary measures in the buses, i.e. one passenger per seat and free distribution of sanitizers to passengers.
• The second claim follows the first, namely the management of back-up fleets for the public. “As the schools are not open, these buses will be able to provide transport during peak times,” says Alain Kistnen.
• And the third claim is the alignment of the rights of UBS, RHT, TBS and individual bus workers with CNT employees, specifically those who are tested positive and are sent to self-isolation. “They do not receive the same salary and opportunities during isolation. Usually these 10 days are cut off from their Sick and Local Leaves. We want this injustice to be cleared“, says the UBIW secretary.

Presentation this Friday

“Minister Ganoo has reassured us that he will present these three claims to the Council of Ministers this Friday. I appeal to all politicians and MPs to take an interest because if we go according to the plans of the UBIW, breaking the transmission chain and reducing the number of cases on a daily basis will no longer be a hope but a reality,” insists our interlocutor. The strike will wait and see what are the decisions taken by the Council of Ministers. For the time being, the Union remains optimistic.