Union plans strike at Barbados port

Union plans strike at Barbados port The Barbados Workers Union said the country would be on a 'strike watch' for the Port of Bridgetown Thursday as the union ratcheted up a series of protests over the dismissal of a union member at the port.
   According to a report in The Nation newspaper in Bridgetown, the union planned to shut the port down with a strike Thursday. That follows a work stoppage for two hours on Tuesday and for one hour last week.
   The strike threat came after a meeting Wednesday night between port management, the union and the chief labor officer from the government of Barbados.
   The union is protesting the dismissal of an 11-year veteran at the port. The union said the worker became ill and was fired, while port officials told the newspaper that the actions of the employee constituted a serious security breach.
   Port officials said five cargo vessels and two cruise ships were slated to call the port and that they hoped to have the matter resolved as soon as possible.