Stories by Gail Alexander
Senior Political Reporter
The top management structure for the 34 highest leadership posts in the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has been approved in its organisation redesign process. And while people have been identified to fill the nine top posts, no decision has been taken to earmark 200 managers for separation packages.
Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales gave the information to the Senate yesterday.
He was replying to UNC Senator Wade Mark’s query on when the executive packages of “approximately 200 retrenched” WASA managers would take effect, as part of what Mark claimed was WASA’s restructuring exercise to form a new “Water Management Company.” Gonzales said, “This question is based on a false premise since no decision has been taken to form a new Water Management Company.
“With respect to the proposed restructuring of (WASA) several reports, including the 2020 report of the Cabinet Subcommittee on WASA, which was tabled in Parliament, have indicated that WASA’s top management is grossly overstaffed and needs to be significantly reduced, a position with which I concur.
“In this regard, the organisation’s redesign process has been guided by the development of a transformation plan. The top management structure for the 34 top leadership positions has been approved, and the Human Resource Subcommittee of Cabinet is still determining the compensation packages.”
Gonzales said people have been identified for the filling of the following nine top leadership positions:
● ↓Chief Executive Officer;
● ↓Director, Corporate Finance;
● ↓Director, People, Transformation, and Central Services;
● ↓Director, Technology, Future Systems and Sustainability;
● ↓Director, Water Management Tobago;
● ↓Director, Water Management Northwest;
● ↓Director, Water Management Northeast;
● ↓Director, Water Management South; and
● ↓Director, Water Management Central.
He added, “Once the top leadership has been contractually engaged, the next levels of management will be restructured, guided by the transformation plan. The top leadership will participate in the decision in relation to the next level of management.
“For those positions that fall within the bargaining units, there will be consultation with the recognised majority union. Until that consultation takes place, there will be no final decision with respect to the precise size of the management team and the various options for separation which will be agreed upon between the authority and the representative union.”
On Mark’s query if any decision has been taken in the restructuring/transformation plan to earmark 200 managers for separation packages, Gonzales said, “The answer to that question is no.” He also said Mark’s claim of a new entity called the ‘Water Management Company’ to replace WASA was “UNC foolishness!”
When Mark asked if the restructuring and transformation plan included the expectation that 3,000 workers might be retrenched, Gonzales reminded Mark that it was a 2013 document submitted by the UNC government to the IDB, which sought $1.5 billion for the dismissal of 2,500 WASA workers.
“It was on that document signed by (WASA) CEO Ganga Singh, who approached the IDB and indicated that he was going to restructure WASA, and on that basis, 2,500 workers would be dismissed from WASA,” Gonzales added.
He said it got even worse when the UNC government got $500 million to engage in a VSEP package to separate 1,000 workers. “... And as they exited WASA, they entered by another door, costing taxpayers over $500 million—a scandalous waste of money!” Gonzales added. Mark said, “Time will tell,” on retrenchment.