Following a hiatus of nearly five years, the union GAWU says it held a “positive” meeting on September 9th with Demerara Timbers limited (DTL).
A statement yesterday from the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) said that the resumption of talks followed the intervention of the Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton, and other Ministry officials.
“The DTL had been refusing to engage the GAWU though the Union was the bona fide representative of the workers employed by the Company (it sought) to minimize interactions through the exchange of … correspondences. The Union contended that the DTL’s stance was a breach of the Trade Union Recognition Act which obligates discussions between the parties. The GAWU also pointed out that the Recognition and Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes Agreement between the Union and the Company required the DTL to engage on a face-to-face basis”, the statement said.