Stevedores strike briefly in St. Kitts

Stevedores strike briefly in St. Kitts Stevedores in St. Kitts staged a brief strike late Tuesday and into Wednesday morning as negotiations over a new pay scheme broke down.
   According to a report in the Sun St. Kitts/Nevis, the Stevedoring Association of St. Kitts voted to strike Tuesday evening when negotiations that had been underway for two weeks with the St. Kitts Shipping Association halted. After the brief work stoppage, talks resumed Wednesday afternoon and both side set a goal of concluding an agreement by Friday.
   Stevedores have been getting paid on an hourly basis, but are negotiating to switch to a 'tonnage scheme' that would likely lead to significant gains in income.
   The report said the union had already negotiated changes in working conditions, obtaining 'risk pay,' double-time pay for the late-night graveyard shift, and a provision for transportation in and out of the port.
   When negotiations turned to a fundamental change in the basis for stevedore pay, the talks came to a halt, the report said. That led to the hastily called strike and the resumption of talks between the two sides.