The Ministry of Labour yesterday denied claims by the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) that it had been dragging its feet over a strike by workers at the Linden power company.
In a statement, the ministry expressed disappointment at the October 06, 2022, Stabroek News article entitled `Linden utility workers continuing strike over interim management body’ in which the union’s dissatisfaction with the ministry was stated.
Despite a conciliation meeting at the Ministry of Labour on October 3rd, the Linden Utility Services Coop Society Ltd (LUSCSL ) is still to say whether it accepts the proposed terms of resumption for the workers to return.
In its statement yesterday, the Ministry said it became aware of the dispute when the Chief Labour Officer (CLO) was copied in a letter dated September 21, 2022, from the General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis, GB&GWU, to the General Manager, Olson Thorman, of the LUCSL, which informed him that the workers represented by the Union had withdrawn their services effective 8:00 am on Wednesday, September 21, 2022.
The statement said that the correspondence also requested a meeting with the General Manager to discuss a return to normalcy.
Thereupon, the statement said that the CLO contacted the General Manager to enquire about the dispute. At that time, he was informed by the General Manager that a meeting with the Union had been scheduled for September 23, 2022.
On Friday, September 30, 2022, the statement said that the CLO’s office received a letter dated September 29, 2022, from the GB&GWU, requesting conciliation to address the dispute. “Contrary to the Union’s assertions, the CLO immediately invited the Union and the Company to a conciliation meeting on Monday, October 3, 2022. The Ministry, therefore, finds it disingenuous for the union to contend that “the CLO was written to about conciliation, but he is yet to give this matter the deserving seriousness”, the ministry said.
During the conciliation meeting, the statement said that after much deliberation and discourse, the GB&GWU agreed to revise its proposed Terms of Resumption. In the circumstances, it was agreed that the General Manager would now present the said revised Terms of Resumption to the new Interim Management Committee (“IMC”) as he did not have the mandate to agree to the terms without the IMC’s consent. There still has been no word on the Terms of Resumption.
For the sake of clarity, the ministry said that the revised Terms of Resumption are as follows:
1. There shall be no victimization by either party.
2. There shall be no loss in service and benefits.
3. The parties agree to meet after resumption to discuss the filling of all vacancies.
4. The company agrees to enter into negotiation for a new Collective Labour Agreement after full resumption.
5. There shall be full resumption of work within forty-eight hours after the signing of an agreement.
The ministry statement said that the CLO has also requested the Union to disclose the recognition agreement/certificate that they have with the LUCSL. At this time, the request remains outstanding.
Further, at the said meeting, the CLO pointed out to the Union that their actions were in breach of the Public Utility Undertakings and Public Health Services (Arbitration) Act, Cap.54:01, which obligates that they report the dispute to the Minister (Section 12 of the said Act).
The speed with which the conciliation meeting was summoned, and the revision of the Terms of Resumption are “manifest indications” of the CLO’s intention to have the workers resume duty, the ministry said.
On October 6, Stabroek News reported that for over two weeks the LUSCL had been protesting the installation of an Interim Management Committee (IMC).
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 on October 5th, the 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.
