News

On November 2014, Cable & Wireless/LIME notified ABWU, the Antigua and Bermuda Workers Union, that the company would acquire Columbus Communication/FLOW. The company has told workers at both, Lime and Flow, that they will have to reapply for their jobs regardless of their years of experience in the company. ABWU is the union for workers at both entities, but the company does not recognize the union at FLOW, even though Flow workers created their union ten years ago.

The Bustamante Industrial Trade Union in Jamaica, BITU, along with other unions in the region, has shown support to their brothers and sisters in Antigua & Bermuda since they are facing similar problems. BITU also showed concern about their workers’ situation and wrote a letter to the company for more information, but Cable & Wireless has not answered back.

The company is lowering labor standards and claiming that in the other countries where both companies have merged, workers have accepted these news standards, which is not true.

In Antigua and Bermuda a strike is on hold until this Thursday, when the union and the company will meet with the Labour Department to bring to light the actual situation. If it remains the same, workers will be back on the streets demanding answers and the acknowledgement of their rights.

UNI Americas requests that Cable and Wireless desist from any further unilateral discussions with workers regarding their jobs and stop interviewing workers for their own positions. In addition, UNI requests that C&W agree to a regional meeting with unions from C&W and Columbus Communications to discuss the impact of the merger on workers.