From left: NUPW President, Akanni McDowall, in talks with NUPW General Treasurer Asokore Beckles; and Principal Environmental Health Officer, John Watts, following the emergency meeting held for environmental health officers at the National Union of Public Workers yesterday.
The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) will not allow the Government to go unpunished for “the error it has made” in demoting NUPW President, Akanni McDowall.
As such, NUPW General Secretary Roslyn Smith has sent the signal that “something will happen” and it will happen today. She has however decided not to divulge the Union’s strategy, so it cannot be pre-empted.
According to the Union, McDowall was abruptly reverted from the post of Health Planner 1 – an acting senior position – to his substantive position of Environmental Health Assistant 1, an entry-level position. The NUPW believes he is being victimised and has made it clear that it will not tolerate this kind of behaviour towards the President of the Union.
Following an emergency meeting called for all environmental health officers at NUPW Headquarters, Dalkeith Road, St. Michael yesterday, Smith noted that the 30 to 40 workers who gathered were sensitised about the matter concerning their work colleague, and he now has their full support. They also received correspondence to take back to their work-mates who could not make the meeting, due to staff shortages.
It was during that press briefing that the General Secretary sent the signal that Government should look out for “some form of action” to be taken by the workers today in support of McDowall, as the Union seeks a resolution to the matter.
“Something will start from tomorrow (Thursday). I am not going to divulge the strategy, because I know we don’t want persons pre-empting the strategy and that is the reason why we have been keeping things under wraps, but something will happen come tomorrow (Thursday),” Smith remarked.
“As we said, it is a very serious matter. It may just appear as if it is an officer with a small issue, but we see it from a wider perspective and we see it from such a serious position that the gravity of the action will dictate the resolution to this matter, because it will have implications for all and sundry, government also. So that is how serious we are about this matter. We will leave no stone unturned because Government has to recognise that they have made an error and we will not allow the government to go unpunished for that error,” Smith assured. (RSM)
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