The Ministry of Labour (MoL) in a release yesterday said that it has settled the dispute between the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL) and the Guyana Agricultural & General Workers Union (GAWU) in accordance with existing labour laws.
According to the MoL, the meeting was chaired by Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle and after extensive discussion the two parties have agreed that all workers dismissed would be compensated for loss of wages; those workers will receive payment in lieu of notice; and all workers dismissed will be awarded Severance Pay for their years of service based on the Termination of Employment & Severance Pay Act.
The workers in question were left behind at the Wales Estates after its closure and were mainly engaged in providing security and performing labour tasks. They were employed up to December 31, 2020. NICIL had terminated the services of the 49 workers and sought to explain that their sacking was linked to the establishment of the Wales Development Authority (WDA).
With the announcement of the composition of the WDA, NICIL said it sought to “reorganize its operations across its varied locations.”
GAWU however, had taken issue with the layoffs and in a statement issued on Monday, stated that the “sudden termination” dumbfounded the workers, who were “completely unprepared for the bombshell announcement.”
NICIL had countered by stating that the security workers were allowed to secure employment through the recently engaged private security company and the other workers would be contracted as necessary on an ad-hoc basis to provide maintenance services on the estate.
Following the closure of the estate, NICIL said it retained the 49 workers, who were paid fortnightly and employed in various fields, including administration, compound maintenance, and agriculture, with security workers making up the majority.
The union, on the other hand, said it found the actions of NICIL to be “deeply disturbing” as the workers were effectively represented prior to NICIL’s decision. It added that the workers, during last year, had approached it to speak on their behalf. As a result, the union, on November 6, 2020, applied to the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board (TURCB) seeking to be recognised as their bargaining agent.
GAWU maintains that the actions of the state institution undermines the efforts of the government as it aims to “breathe life back into the former sugar producing community.”
“For the workers, given the depression that has gripped Wales since the estate was closed at the end of 2016, it represented a cherished source of sustenance. We are aware of the efforts of the incumbent Administration as they seek to breathe life back into the former estate communities and the actions of the state-owned holding company, in our view, serves to gravely undermine those efforts,” the union said.
