THE EDITOR, Sir:
THIS WORD 'accountability' is bandied about quite a bit, but it would seem that we do not know its meaning. Take the strike of the National Water Commission (NWC) workers, where was the accountability of the managers of NWC, the Government, the workers and the unions representing the workers?
As a citizen of this country, I would like to find out from our government if the NWC workers are not part of the essential services law? I am almost sure that they are, and that they should have followed certain procedures, like giving seven days' notice of their intention to take strike action. Was this done? And if this was not done, then over to our Government who should have then started to get the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) ready for taking over this very essential service.
My next question would be for the management of the NWC. Did management take the threats of strike action from the workers seriously, and if they did, why did they not have continuous dialogue to have this matter settled as quickly as possible?
ROLE OF UNIONS
I would also like to question the actions of the unions involved in this matter and would like to know did they advise their members of the consequences of taking this action? Again I am almost sure that none of this was done.
So now we come to the matter of sanctions, which should be clearly noted in the essential services law. As far as I am concerned, sanctions should be taken against the NWC, the unions, the workers and the minister in charge of water. Why was the JDF not called in when the workers took strike action? Why were the workers allowed to take away the keys of the gates of the NWC installations, turn off the valves, etc.?
Another question I would like to ask, did all parties take into account the cost to the country? What if there were any major fires, would we just burn? Answers are definitely needed from all the participants in this latest drama.
Our Government repeats ad nauseam its resolve to help the poor and to try and make life better for the citizens of the land. Did our Government know that exams were on in a lot of schools? Did it care? That is the question, but then we have a government which pats the Minister of Trade, etc. on the back for putting the country through the cement crisis and what is most unbelievable, that minister has the nerve to tell us that the Cement Company should not be sanctioned.
I am, etc.,
BARBARA COVER
Kingston 6
