by Linda Straker
- Acting Cabinet Secretary requested PWU show steps taken to increase its dues by 1% as of 1 January 2025
- Freezing of deducted contributions to PWU has crossed 2-month mark
- Other trade unions who represent Public Officers and Government employees have not complained about withholding of deducted contributions
Senator André Lewis, President of the Grenada Trades Union Council (GTUC), has described Government’s action to withhold deducted union dues from the Public Workers Union (PWU) and, at the same time demanded to be provided with the internal process that led to the union enforcing a 1% increase on its dues as of 1 January 2025, as a dangerous precedent that is alarming and disturbing. “This is interference in the internal affairs of the union’s work.”
Lewis, the Labour Movement representative in the Upper House of Parliament, believes that withholding the deducted contributions for an extended period will not only cripple the organisation, which was established in 1951 but will also set a bad precedent for private sector employers. “I therefore call on the government to immediately pass on those contributions. The Labour Relations Act of 199 clearly provides the guidelines on how employers should pay the contributions to unions, and these deductions should be forwarded without delay,” he said.
Section 43 subsection 4 states: “An employer shall make the authorised deductions of subscriptions or service contributions and shall within 15 days of such deduction remit to the trade unions the funds so collected.”
Brian Grimes, PWU President, disclosed on Tuesday, 18 February 2025, that the union had received a letter from Carvel Lett, Acting Secretary to the Cabinet of Grenada, requesting that the union provide information to her office showing the steps taken to increase its dues by 1%.
He further disclosed that since December, Government had failed to forward the union dues deducted from the salaries of the thousands of public officers who are members or benefits from its negotiations with the state. “We here at the union are curious as to what is the position of Cabinet is on this…we have sent back correspondence on it. As I speak here, the union funds are practically garnished, and we are unable to continue our operations here.” He told reporters in a news conference at the union’s headquarters, “This is a serious matter. I don’t know what the origin of this is; we have done our due diligence, our members had decided, we had robust discussions, and we were fully curated at the AGM held in March 2024.”
In her letter to the union, the Acting Cabinet Secretary — whose job, according to Section 68 of the Constitution, is to work “in accordance with such instructions” from the Cabinet of Ministers — said her office strongly believes that a change of this magnitude requires extensive consultation across the public service.
Public Officers and or people employed by Government are represented by 3 other trade unions. No other unions have complained about the withholding of deducted contributions. Researching the matter has shown instances of lag payment, but not for extended periods.
“The delay is usually no more than one month,” said a retired trade unionist who did not want to have his name mentioned.
The freezing of the deducted contributions has crossed the 2-month mark.
