A handful of workers at CCN TV6 staged a midday protest yesterday demanding a higher wage offer.
Speaking with Guardian Media, lead negotiator for TV6 Wesley Francis, said the protest did not disrupt work at the media house as the protesters used their break time to highlight their displeasure.
Francis, the labour relations and health and safety officer at the Bankers, Insurance and General Workers Union (BIGWU) said the union is rejecting a five per cent offer for the years 2020 to 2024.
He added that this offer is a far cry from the initial of one per cent for five years but nowhere close to the union’s proposal of a 20 per cent wage increase. He added that after a meeting with the company, some non-wage matters were settled.
“We have resolved a few of the outstanding items, but salaries remain outstanding. We are trying to bargain for a little bit more than that five per cent along with some other cost items. The reason for the protest was to put a little bit of pressure on the company to influence them to work with the union to get a better offer.”
He added that the Trinidad Express settled for five per cent for the period 2019 to 2023 and hoped that as TV6 is one year advanced, their settlement will be higher.
The workers chanted “Gih we some of the profits” and “Five per cent we doh want it” as they held placards that read: “D earthquake more than allyuh 5 %”, “Let De Money Trickle Down” and “5 % Nothing.”
The Trinidad Express and TV6 are part of One Caribbean Media group.
CEO at CCN Dawn Thomas, when contacted, said she was unaware of the protest.
Francis said if the company does not go beyond the five per cent, he will have to seek the membership’s authorisation to take the matter to the Industrial Court, which may interfere with upcoming negotiations due to begin in January next year.
