NAACIE has moved to the Trade Union Re-cognition and Certification Board (TUR&CB) to file charges against the Toolsie Persaud Group of Companies for the company’s failure to enter negotiations with the union.
Kenneth Joseph, the General Secretary of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) said in a release, that “the offence arose from the failure of Toolsie Persaud Limited and Mr. Toolsie Persaud to have negotiations or any other discussions” with the union. NAACIE is legally recognized as the bargaining unit for certain categories of employees, hired by TPL, he said.
Efforts yesterday by Stabroek News to obtain a response from the company were unsuccessful.
Joseph said the main dispute is the refusal of the company to negotiate with the union for the increased wages and better working conditions for employees who are represented by NAACIE.
The General Secretary said he wrote to the TUR&CB in February of this year “seeking their intervention into this dispute which was in fact a breach of the law and informed the board of the particulars of the breaches.” “Some of the breaches by this Company are the unilateral changes of working hours, non- implementation of increase in Meal Allowance, Breach of Sick Leave conditions, Separation of at least four (4) workers from the Company,” the release said. Further, the union accused the company of instructing workers to stay away from work equivalent to the overtime hours worked instead of paying them the overtime, at the time and one half rate and with meals. NAACIE also said it was also pursuing the non-payment of NIS deducted for workers to the National Insurance Scheme and the refusal of annual leave to workers…”
The union, Joseph, said is prepared t assist in the representation of workers using their legal rights and will be monitoring the developments in this case.
