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).