Enmore factory workers on stike

Factory workers of Guysuco’s Enmore Estate have downed tools this morning (September 03, 2007) causing the Factory to be at a standstill in protest against Management’s continuing violation of the Collective Labour Agreement, by denying a category of the Factory workers premium payment.

The relevant clause in the Agreement states: “Factory Piece Rated Workers who are authorized to work and do work more than eight (8) hours in any one day or forty (40) normal hours per week shall be paid overtime for the excess hours at the rate of 1½ times”.

The Union represented the dispute up to conciliatory stage (Ministry of Labour). Last June, at the final conciliatory meeting, the Ministry of Labour advised Guysuco to respect the Collective Labour Agreement. Since the Ministry’s advice, the year and a half old dispute remains unresolved as the Company seeks ad nauseum additional time to resolve the dispute.

The Union two weeks ago demanded a final answer from the Corporation. The Industrial Relations Department requested the Union to facilitate a final meeting under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Labour. At the meeting which took place on (Friday) August 31, 2007, the Corporation advised that there was an Agreement sometime ago between the concerned shop stewards and the former factory Manager Cde Malcolm Henry to discontinue the payment. The shop stewards, who were at the meeting, pointed out that they were not party to such Agreement. However, the Union pointed out that the Collective Labour Agreement is sacrosanct and unless any aspect is changed by the Union and the Corporation at the Central Level, no one else has the authority to alter the Agreement.

Cde Mohamed Akeel, Chief Labour Officer (during the course of this morning – September 03, 2007) intervened to apprehend the strike. He requested the Union and the Corporation to meet him under his chairmanship on (Tuesday) September 04, 2007, once the workers have returned to work and normalcy prevails.