Workers at the Urban Development Corporation’s subsidiary, St Ann Development Company Limited (SADCo) are reportedly restive over outstanding incentive payments and an unexplainable delay in commencing consultations with their union, the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, in relation to implementation of the recently concluded compensation redesign.

In a news release on Friday, Vice President of the BITU, Rudolph Thomas advised that the workers have grown impatient of the delays on the part of their parent organisation, the UDC, in addressing both matters.

He said “In December 2022, there was a commitment to rectify the situation by making in the first instance, a determination of those payments that remain outstanding. Despite instructions given by the general manager on or about December 15th, to date there is yet to be formal advisory in relation to same”.

In addition, he explained that “A similar situation exists with the new compensation structure, where the union has repeatedly called for commencement of consultations with the employer to review information UDC says it has received from the (Ministry of Finance’s) TIU (Transformation Implementation Unit) and we are yet be put in a position to review what is proposed by the new structure.”

He added: “Nonchalant responses received from the director of human resources and a failure to make good on promises to share the information in a transparent way by Wednesday, May 17, 2023 has infuriated the workers. The union continues to urge the company to let good sense prevail, by providing a written timeline in revelation to, 1) payment of all outstanding incentive payments, 2) engage with the union on retro increased for salaries for 2022-2023 fiscal, 3) address all other outstand matters including uniforms. Like all other public sector workers, the SADCO workers deserve their money and a sign-off on their new compensation structure.”

He added: “In the meanwhile the union and its members remain hopeful that the apparent impasse will change for the better and the workers will be given their due, failing which there can be no guarantee of uninterrupted operations”.