Three former employees of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), who were sacked late last month, are expected to be paid their full benefits.
This is according to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU), which said that the GFC agreed to pay the workers after the union intervened in the matter.
“Arising from the intervention of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), three (3) employees of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) who were terminated on June 30, 2021, are to uplift from the Commission payments representing their terminal benefits, notice pay, annual leave entitlements, leave passage allowance and travelling allowance,” GAWU said in a statement on Friday.
The workers were terminated on June 30, 2021. The circumstance which led to the workers being sacked was not immediately cleared. .
Efforts made by Sunday Stabroek to contact GAWU President Seepaul Narine provide futile since calls to his phone went unanswered.
According to the statement, after the union learnt of the matter, the workers were invited to a meeting.
“Following an extensive engagement where the workers related what transpired and the Union offered its advice and suggestions, the workers decided they wished to receive their outstanding benefits,” the statement said.
As a result, GAWU said it wrote to GFC on July 7 “demanding the workers’ rights be respected and that they receive all benefits due to them.”
After consideration, GAWU said GFC agreed to pay the workers their benefits.
“Following receipt of the calculations, the GAWU engaged the workers to examine collectively their respective computations. An omission was recognised, and this was drawn to the Commission’s attention which it undertook to correct the calculation,” GAWU explained.
The union further noted that the workers were later prepared.
“Our Union, for its part, is heartened that the workers’ rights were upheld and the matter was resolved amicably and within a short period,” the statement said.
“The GAWU remains convinced that only through well-organized unions will workers have their rights respected,” it added.
