Compulsory arbitration has been imposed in the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) industrial dispute and the tribunal commenced work yesterday.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir intervened in the dispute and imposed the arbitration. Yoganand Mahadeo had been appointed arbitrator but had since indicated that he would be unavailable. Cecil Seepersaud, Head of the Project Cycle Management in the Ministry of Agriculture has replaced him.
Meanwhile, with regard to the Demerara Timbers Limited (DTL) industrial dispute, the parties met on Wednesday, and it was agreed that the workers would resume on Thursday and the outstanding payments would be made in 14 days. Negotiations for allowances for 2007 would also commence within the said two weeks.
Workers attached to DTL’s Mabura location, took strike action on Tuesday to press their demand for the payment of increase wages for the year 2007 as agreed upon.
On June 13, this year, 2008, DTL had agreed to the payment of a five per cent increase across the board plus a $2,000 one-off payment and for negotiations for allowances for 2007 to commence within two weeks.
The ministry noted that the company did not pay the increase and failed to open negotiations on the allowance as agreed; as a consequence the workers took strike action.
Workers from Mabura Hill had informed Stabroek News that there were several non-pecuniary grievances, which needed urgent attention. Such issues, they had asserted, included having to procure their own safety equipment; a reneging on the part of the company of a previous entitlement. They moreover complained that the attitude of the employer to workers at Mabura Hill needed to undergo a significant upliftment.
The release also noted that approximately 100 workers attached to the Providence factory and quarry, the Head Office staff and hardware store of Toolsie Persaud Ltd took strike action on Tuesday last as well.
They were protesting the breach of an agreement for completion of discussion on wages/salaries; the dismissal of the union’s Branch Chairman; the non payment of NIS contributions deducted from their wages and transfer of workers.
The Ministry of Labour said it attempted to intervene and two meetings were summoned but the company failed to attend both meetings. The ministry said it might have to consider other action to return normalcy to the company.
The Ministry of Labour said the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) referred the dismissal of nine employees to a sole arbitrator for adjudication and asked the arbitrator to make an award as he deemed fit.
The arbitrator ruled that the nine persons be reinstated and paid their wages, leave and leave passage assistance.
The emoluments calculated should be reduced by 33 1/3 % representing a sum assessed to have been earned elsewhere during the period they were off the job.
The GPL subsequently wrote to the affected workers saying that it would not abide by the award but would challenge it award in Court.
However, following the intervention of ministry, GPL decided to abide by the award of the arbitrator.
