A major employment dispute in Trinidad and Tobago’s public healthcare system has taken a sudden turn, after the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) announced that the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) has withdrawn termination letters issued to 124 daily-rated maintenance employees.
The affected workers, who are all represented by the NUGFW, received the formal notices from SWRHA’s Human Resource Department dated October 15. The letters, which were later shared with the *Sunday Express*, outlined that the workers’ temporary casual appointments, which had been extended multiple times since their hiring in April 2024, would end on October 16. The correspondence closed with a standard note of appreciation for the workers’ service, ending with SWRHA’s institutional motto of “Care, Compassion, Competence.”
Crucially, union leadership confirms they were never consulted prior to the termination notices being distributed. The workers are deployed across key regional healthcare facilities, including the San Fernando General Hospital, Point Fortin Hospital, and multiple smaller clinics and care centers across the south-west region.
Within 24 hours of the notices being issued, NUGFW took swift action to address the threat to workers’ livelihoods. In an official statement released yesterday, the union ordered all affected staff to continue reporting for their scheduled shifts as usual, noting that the termination orders had been revoked.
NUGFW President General Christopher Streete emphasized the gravity of the situation in his address, calling for urgent, structured dialogue between all involved parties to reach a permanent resolution. “This is a serious situation that calls for an immediate, systematic and sensible approach towards resolving the issue, which calls for the gathering of the facts first, and there is an urgent need for dialogue among all the stakeholders,” Streete stated.
Streete stressed that the union’s top priority is protecting the employment security of its members, whose livelihoods and family stability hang in the balance. “NUGFW expects this matter to receive the urgent attention it deserves. The livelihoods of workers and their families are at stake, and we are determined to ensure that their concerns are firmly represented at the highest level. Our responsibility is to stand with our members, defend their interests and pursue meaningful answers where their employment security is threatened,” he added.
To ease uncertainty among affected staff, Streete urged workers to remain calm and continue fulfilling their duties, assuring them that the union is actively advancing their concerns and will provide regular updates as negotiations progress. He reaffirmed the NUGFW’s longstanding commitment to upholding the rights, dignity and job security of all its members, noting that he personally would lead talks with SWRHA leadership to resolve the conflict.
Streete confirmed he is scheduled to meet directly with SWRHA’s Chief Executive Officer this coming Friday to negotiate a resolution that prioritizes the needs and rights of the affected workers. When reached for comment by the *Sunday Express* yesterday, SWRHA acknowledged receipt of the request for public comment but had not issued a formal response by the time of publication.