The Guyana Sugar Corporation and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) will meet with the labour ministry today to finalize arrangements for an arbitrator to be appointed in the case of a Skeldon estate employee who was sacked after an altercation with the manager.
Both GuySuCo and GAWU had called for arbitration after failing to come to an agreement at conciliation talks.
The Labour Ministry under the auspices of the Chief Labour Officer (CLO), Charles Ogle had met with GuySuCo and GAWU at conciliation on multiple occasions, however GuySuCo rejected the CLO’s recommendation to have the Skeldon worker, Stephen Daniels, reinstated and paid for his time off the job.
Stabroek News understands that the discussions between the three parties yesterday agreed that a sole arbitrator be appointed today.
Head of GAWU, Komal Chand said that a number of issues were discussed but that GuySuCo and GAWU agreed to not say anything until an arbitrator is selected. He said that the terms of reference, which brought an end to the five-day strike which erupted after Daniels was fired were also discussed.
The meeting lasted over two hours, Stabroek News understands, with both sides having plenty to say. This newspaper was told that the meeting was adjourned with questions still unanswered but that both parties were hopeful that a resolution could be reached today.
GuySuCo was represented by Jairam Petam, the state-owned company’s Human Resources Director. Chief Executive Officer Raj Singh was not present at yesterday’s meeting although he had been present for the first and second conciliation meetings.
Daniels’ dismissal had triggered a debilitating strike at Skeldon which led to other acts such as the burning of cane. It was finally agreed under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour that his dismissal would be withdrawn and he would be considered suspended without pay pending the conciliation talks.
The Corporation said that its subsequent rejection of the CLO’s recommendation is based on the availability of statements by workers and staff who presented evidence that the Estate Manager was neither under the influence of alcohol nor confrontational towards Daniels, and that on the contrary, it was Daniels who was aggressive towards the Manager, which led to him physically assaulting the Manager.
GAWU had expressed disgust and frustration after GuySuCo rejected the CLO’s recommendations. Chand had stated that it was “a bit absurd that the penalty, suspension was applied, one cannot be suspended indefinitely…and there was no logical timeframe given,” for Daniels’ suspension. He said that GuySuCo was following “no logical framework” in terms of industrial relations.
He had stated that workers were “peeved…They should treat the matter with the necessary importance as they ought to. It is showing how GuySuCo could just be callous and they don’t care a damn you can imagine so many other matters they treat like this. This is why workers have to resort to strike.”
