–unions up in arms, company says they were fully informed
The modernization of the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) bottling plant has left 19 persons jobless from June 1, prompting action by the unions who said that they were caught by surprise.
Those sent home were labourers, lighthouse inspectors, line attendants and porters.
The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) which represent some of the workers said in a joint letter to DDL’s Human Resource Officer Bal Parsaud dated June 1, that the employees’ services were terminated before they entered the company’s compound.
The unions said while they had prior knowledge of the company’s intent to move its operations to its newly constructed bottling plant, they had asked to be provided with a full list of the employees to be made redundant, and for there to be discussions before any action was taken by the company.
“Also we suggested that the employees be allowed to work until this matter is discussed under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Labour and a settlement is arrived at,” the letter stated.
The termination of the 19 employees’ services on June 1, caught the unions by surprise since they said that they had not heard from the company after their last meeting on May 27. It was on this ground that the unions served the company with notice of their intention to take appropriate industrial action, should the company fail to meet the unions to have the matter resolved in 48 hours.
In a press release yesterday, DDL said it had indicated to the unions, as early as March this year, that the new bottling plant would have been commissioned and the company had looked at the re-assignment of workers in relation to the skills needs of the new plant and that some workers might have been terminated if they could not be placed. The unions and the Ministry of Labour were formally notified in writing on April 27 & 29 respectively, that the 19 employees would be made redundant.
The parties were also given the list of names with reasons for termination along with all other relevant details of each employee.
“Meetings were held with GAWU on May 12 and with GLU on May 13. Additional meetings were held with both unions on May 20 and 27. DDL and the unions differed on some procedural points during these discussions but the Ministry of Labour advised that the company had met all the requirements of the law and that the ministry had no problem with the process,” the release said.
In a telephone conversation Parsaud told Stabroek News that GAWU and GLU were aware of the company’s intent to pay the employees one month’s salary in lieu of notice and severance allowances in accordance with the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act of 1999 and existing union agreement. “We have made arrangements for those persons to be paid for outstanding leave and leave travelling assistance to which they are entitled. Even their pension contributions would be refunded,” he also said.
Stating that the days for confrontation between workers’ unions and employers had long gone, Parsaud said the company did everything possible to offer the affected employees places in other departments.
“The fact that the new plant is fully automated means that fewer employees are now required to operate the plant and those employees must be of the highest skill level,” he said. “Over the past four months, the company made every effort to redeploy all staff members who were likely to be affected by the start up of the new plant; regrettably we were not able to find places for all of the employees”.
At the end of April, when the reassignment of staff was completed, 68 non-management staff were re-deployed and 19 were identified to be made redundant.
I got frighten at first
One of the affected employees said she had served the company for 24 years and was surprised by the way the company dealt with her. According to the woman, who chose to remain anonymous, she had worked up to Saturday, May 30, had a quiet Sunday with her three-member family and went to work as usual on June 1.
“I went in de gate as normal and was standing at de door with some other people fuh clock in meh time. The security bus came up and de officer came and asked if I name [name given] I said yes and she tell me come wid she in de bus. I got frighten at first. I asked de officer where and why I had to go wid she and she just say they gat a meeting.”
The 51-year-old woman said she thought it was a union or some other meeting but to her surprise she was handed a letter which stated that her services were terminated.
“They din had fuh treat me suh. Like I was a criminal! I serve duh company for all meh working life. Twenty-four years and never had a problem wid no one or was ever accused of stealing or anything. So why dey had to treat me suh?” She told Stabroek News that she questioned the action of the company and was told by a senior officer that DDL was afraid the terminated employees would have sabotaged the plant. “I help build duh plant from scratch. Tell me nuh, if it was you, how you woulda feel miss?” she asked.
Another employee said the same treatment was meted out to her. She served the company for five years. “De matter deh with de union so me gon wait and see wha gon play out next week,” she said, adding that she had no clue she was going to be laid off.
DDL’s press release said that at the meeting, workers were told that in addition to the payment of all benefits, the company would be offering counselling and retraining services to the affected employees. Parsaud also indicated that “these persons would be the first to be considered for re-employment should suitable vacancies arise.”
According to General Secretary of GAWU Seepaul Narine, Chief Labour Officer Yoganand Persaud will preside over another meeting of GAWU, GLU and DDL on Tuesday next where it is hoped an amicable solution could be arrived at.
