Commuters who depend on the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) for transportation will have to make alternative arrangements again today as bus drivers are staying away once more from work.
Drivers decided that yesterday after salary negotiations between their union, the Transport and Industrial Workers Union (TIWU) and PTSC management, held at the Cascadia Hotel, St Ann’s, broke down.
Almost 90 per cent of drivers across the country stayed away from work yesterday, opting to attend the meeting as a sign of solidarity.
Speaking to the T&T Guardian on condition that they not be named, a union representative said management had reneged on its promises to the drivers.
“PTSC has reneged on their offer of 12 per cent. We have a new human resources manager who says the drivers only deserve eight per cent,” the source said.
“He has only been here two weeks and already the underhanded tricks have started,” he added.
The source said workers walked out of the meeting around 12.30 pm less than two hours after it started.
“The meeting was supposed to start at 10 am, the company walked in at 11.15 am and we walked out at 12.30 pm because we were so disgusted with what was brought to the table,” he said.
The source said over 2000 drivers would take a day of rest and reflection today.
“We will be staying away from work tomorrow (today) in an effort to highlight our disgust at the response to what happened,” he said.
Yesterday, only five buses were working at the San Fernando terminal and all service to rural areas had been stopped as there were not enough staff to cover the routes. The T&T Guardian understands services in Port-of-Spain were similarly affected.