Disgruntled employees of Demerara Timbers Ltd yesterday picketed its office in Kingston to demonstrate their frustration at the treatment being meted out to them by the company.
Mandat Singh, field officer attached to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), said Demerara Timbers had not paid the said employees pay increases for the year ending 2007.
A press release from the union said it was frustrated to witness the foot-dragging exercise by Demerara Timbers in not implementing a five per cent wage/salary increase to its employees at Mabura Hill and elsewhere retroactive to January 1, 2007.
The union made the point that after many efforts to get a settlement with respect to last year’s increase in pay, it had finally brokered an agreement with the assistance of the Chief Labour Officer Mohamed Akeel.
The agreement stated that the parties “agree that the conciliatory proceedings into the dispute relative to negotiations 2007 concluded on June 13, 2008. Further, it is the understanding of the parties that the company will pay an increase of five per cent across the board, effective January 1, 2007 plus a $2,000 one-off payment. Negotiations with respect to allowances for 2007 will commence within two weeks.” The agreement was signed by Lynette Haynes and Godfrey Edghill on behalf of Demerara Timbers and Seepaul Narine, General Secretary; Vibert Sam, Ken Doughan et al on behalf of the union.
GAWU added moreover that the company was legally bound to honour the agreement, including the one-off payment of $2,000 to workers in the union’s bargaining unit and to commence negotiations with respect to allowances for the year 2007.
It was noted that a majority of the workers at Mabura Hill downed tools as of yesterday and the picketing exercise was in the thrust of reinforcing the plight of their colleagues.
Singh said the company had indicated that it would like the employees to forget about the allowances.
This behaviour on the part of Demerara Timbers, workers remonstrated, was tantamount to a gross disregard and disrespect of labour as a factor of production.
Workers complained that in recent times, working conditions and terms of employment at Mabura Hill had undergone a steady decline.
Workers said that previously they had enjoyed a certain housing entitlement. This entitlement, it was asserted, was currently in danger. Moreover, they said, with regard to the procurement of safety equipment needed in the execution of company work, workers had to acquire such equipment on their own. They related that redundant wood would be burnt rather than distributed to employees of the company.
It was related that it was an apparent policy of the company with regard to certain skilled and technical jobs to import such personnel from Malaysia rather than employ equally capable Guyanese.
Workers said it seemed that there was an apparent tactical manoeuvre of not upgrading employees from temporary to permanent status. This allowed the company, they said, to pay a lower remuneration. This tactic, they also said, placed the onus of honouring NIS contributions on workers themselves. This practice invariably resulted in NIS contributions not being paid and thus workers not being covered.
Charlton Cornelius, father of two and grader operator employed with Demerara Timbers said the non-payment of workers by Demerara Timbers was worsened by the high cost of living in Mabura. Cornelius said he had been employed with the company since 1984 and that this poor treatment was not befitting his years of service. He said the price of any household and foodstuff item at Mabura was double the cost of what it was on the coast.
Cornelius said he knew that his decision to strike and to travel Georgetown to picket the company could and might result in his victimization. Workers said they would continue to take industrial action until Demerara Timbers agreed to rectify what was an unjust situation.
