Workers of the Linden Utility Services Co-op Society Limited (LUSCSL) have been on strike for over two weeks now protesting the installation of an Interim Management Committee (IMC), which they claim violates the rules of the Co-op Society.
Back in April, the government announced that an IMC was set up to manage the LUSCSL following a determination by the Chief Co-operative Development Officer (CCDO) that the body is being mismanaged.
The IMC members are Renee Mac Donald, Chairwoman; Winston Caesar, Hilton Lyle, Wanda Richmond, Courtney Handy, Leon Greaves and Latoya Walks.
The government had said that the Co-operative Society Act, Chapter 88:01, empowers the CCDO to take over any Cooperative or Friendly Societies, or Credit Union, that in the opinion of the CCDO is mismanaged or not transparent.
In a statement yesterday, the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) said that workers began strike action on September 21 in protest at the installation of the IMC. It noted that in addition to the violation of the LUSCSL rules, the workers are also protesting the refusal of the Ministry of Labour to conduct an investigation before disbanding the management team that was in place; victimisation of staff by IMC members; an arbitrary reduction in workers’ pay; unauthorised removal of the company’s property by an IMC member; abuse of LUSCSL’s finances by the IMC; and the IMC by-passing the General Manager’s authority.
“Immediately after (the) IMC was put in place the government increased stipends for the members by as much as 170 per cent. Stipends for regular IMC members moved from $15,000 per month to $40,000. This is a 166 per cent increase! The Chairman and Secretary’s stipend moved from $23,000 per month to $40,000 per month. This is an increase of 74 per cent! Telephone allowance for each IMC member has moved from $2000 per month to $5000 per month, representing a 150 per cent increase,” the statement informed.
GB&GWU added that it has written to the utility’s General Manager Olston Thorman “and presented the undermentioned Terms of Resumption (ToR) – there shall be no victimisation by either party (employee or management), there shall be no loss in services and benefits, employees acting vacant positions shall be appointed with immediate effect, LUSCSL agrees to enter into negotiation for a new Collective Labour Agreement within 72-hours of full resumption, all outstanding grievances shall be presented to the management within forty-eight hours after the resumption, Mr Courtney Handy, a member of the IMC, be removed with immediate effect, there shall be an inquiry an inquiry into the conduct of IMC since its installation, and there shall be full resumption of work within 72-hours of after the signing of the agreement.”
A copy of the letter was also dispatched to Chief Labour Officer Dhaneshwar Deonarine informing him of the strike. The Union said that on September 30, the CLO was written to about conciliation but he is yet to give this matter the deserving seriousness.
A meeting between the General Manager and Union was convened on Monday 3rd October 2022 at the Ministry of Labour where the workers’ demands were presented to the parties. However, the General Manager advised the meeting that he must return to the IMC or acting Chief Co-operative Development Officer, Debbie Persaud, for a directive before he can sign the ToR. To date, no definitive answer has been communicated to the Union.
