Workers employed with the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) will now be represented by the National Workers’ Union (NWU) following the outcome of a secret ballot poll conducted by the Department of Labour.
In a press release, the NWU announced that employees voted in favor of the union becoming their “exclusive bargaining representative.”
According to the union, the development followed “a Secret Ballot Poll among the employees, undertaken by officials from the Department of Labour, based on a recognition request by the NWU on behalf of the said employees.”
The union said the process confirmed majority support among workers for NWU representation.
“The exercise revealed that the majority voted in favor of having the National Workers Union as their exclusive bargaining representative,” the release stated.
The NWU noted that it is now awaiting formal confirmation from the Department of Labour.
“The NWU is expecting the Department of Labour will soon dispatch a Recognition Certificate indicating the union’s status pertaining to that group of workers going forward,” the statement added.
The union also indicated that a meeting with employees is being organized to outline what union representation will mean for staff members moving ahead.
“A general meeting is being scheduled among the employees to inform them of their roles, responsibilities and benefits in a unionized environment,” the NWU stated.
The development marks a significant step in labor representation for employees of the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, with the union expected to begin engaging on matters relating to workers’ rights, conditions of employment and collective bargaining once the recognition process is formally completed.