CCWU backs NAACIE in GPL issue

Sep 04, 2008 News

Formally stating that the failure of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) to honour an Arbitration Award is, “a matter of great concern,” the Clerical & Commercial Workers’ Union (CCWU) has signalled its support for the position taken by the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE).
In a press release, the CCWU explained that the management of GPL is in a bad position, as they agreed to enter an arbitration concerning the dismissal of nine workers, and then refused to accept the Arbitration Award. The NAACIE and GPL apparently concurred, under the chairmanship of the Chief Labour, Occupational Health and Safety Officer, to refer four disputes involving the dismissal of nine employees to a sole Arbitrator.
After the Arbitration, the Arbitrator made his award, “Having regard to all the evidence and submission made by the Company and the Union, the tribunal awarda as follows: the reinstatement of Gladston Cadogan, Deonarine Ramroop, Otis Jamieson, Quacy La Rose, Rawle Benjamin, Brian Seecharran, Renville Mc Bean, Quinsie Huntley and Leon Andrews.”
The Arbitrator further noted that the individuals were to return to work, and be paid as if they had never left, but with a 33.3 per cent reduction of the calculated accumulated sum. The reduction comes into effect as representing a sum assessed to have been earned elsewhere during the period of wrongful dismissal.
According to the NAACIE, GPL has reinstated the workers, but is denying the workers their pay in accordance with the Arbitration Award on the grounds that it (GPL) has decided to “challenge the legal basis of the said Award with a view towards reversing same.”
The CCWU noted that when two parties enter Arbitration, they are both agreeing that the award, whatever it may be, is both final and binding on the parties involved. With this in mind, the CCWU made it clear that the refusal of GPL to accept the ruling of the Arbitration is a move designed “to cause disharmony and to undermine the effective representation NACCIE made on behalf of its nine members.”
GPL would have been the first to condemn the Union if the ruling had been in favour of GPL, and the Union set about to implement industrial action, the CCWU explained. Terming the action of GPL “blatant disrespect for the Collective Labour Agreement,” the CCWU said that the move by GPL can be seen as an act designed to provoke the Union.
The CCWU has issued a call to GPL to “rethink its position and accept the ruling of the arbitrator in the interest of industrial peace.”

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