TRANSPORT and Industrial Workers Union (TIWU) president Judy Charles said workers at the National Maintenance Training Service (MTS) were anxiously awaiting word on when their wage-talks would begin, as they struggled to survive financially on the 2014 wages they now receive.

She told Sunday Newsday that while the Government has given the go-ahead for the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) to negotiate with bodies representing the protective services and the Public Services Association (PSA), not so fortunate have been workers at the MTS, PTSC, WASA and Port.

Charles spoke after she had held a protest of several dozen workers on Friday morning at the MTS headquarters at MTS Plaza in Aranguez, after which she was able to meet MTS CEO Lennox Rattansingh to discuss on-the-job grievances of various workers. She said some MTS workers had raised certain health and safety issues arising on the job but had been ignored, with some workers even being locked out of their premises by client agencies after complaining.

"These are serious issues. When MTS workers speak out on health and safety issues, some clients don't like it."

Charles said TIWU branch officials have reported to her that sometimes company officials seemed to be dragging out matters complained of, leading to her to have to take up such issues.

"We met the CEO today and most grievances were rectified. They will be dealt with as soon as possible."

However Charles said a more long-standing problem has been a lack of wage negotiations, which she said the union should directly conduct with the company, not the CPO because MTS staff were not public servants. "Nothing has been offered to us because nothing has been heard from the Government." She urged the Government to give the MTS "a position" on what to offer to MTS staff. She said the MTS represented 2,500 maintenance technicians who upkeep facilities by painting and minor repairs, beyond merely "passing a broom" as done by cleaners.

Charles said MTS workers were still paid wages agreed in 2014 as a settlement for the 2011-2014 negotiating period. A salary is typically $3,000 per month, she said.

[caption id="attachment_964148" align="alignnone" width="1024"] In this file photo, MTS workers protest at the head office in Aranguez. -[/caption]

The Government has apparently frozen their wages at the 2014 level, Charles said, with no increases for the three terms since then, starting at 2014-2017.

"It's serious. The Government seems not to care.

"The MTS CEO has his hands tied, unless the Government gives the company a position to be able to start negotiations."

Charles said MTS retirees have been waiting for the past two years for monies owed to them. She said the MTS has said the Government now owes them $600 million.

Sunday Newsday sent a query by text to Minister in the Ministry of Finance Brian Manning asking when MTS might get the go-ahead for negotiations, but up to press time he had not replied.

Rattansingh later told Sunday Newsday he and the union had met to try to resolve some of th