The Industrial Court has today dismissed a complaint of an Industrial Relations Offence brought by the Public Services Association against the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) which sought to prevent WASA from engaging in a restructuring exercise.
The Court had previously dismissed the PSA’s application for an injunction in March, 2022.
The Court found that its decision on the injunction was sufficiently dispositive of the substantive proceedings.
It held, inter alia, that:
(a) WASA had always indicated an intention to consult with the PSA at the appropriate time;
(b) WASA had met with the PSA 115 times already and therefore could not be said to be acting in bad faith; and
(c) WASA and the Government must be allowed to formulate policy including a restructuring plan without involvement from the PSA.
The Court therefore decided that further proceedings were unnecessary in the public interest.
WASA said in a statement that it is grateful to have received the Court’s guidance and now that all legal hurdles have been cleared in relation to the restructuring, the Authority reiterates its consistent publicly stated position that it intends to and will always comply with the principles of good industrial relations practice throughout the implementation of the restructuring process, including consulting with the Recognised Majority Unions in good faith.