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GTUC accuses CLICO (Guyana) of industrial relations breaches
GTUC General Secretary, Norris Witter
It is very disappointing that the there is a deafening silence by the Minister of Labour in relation to the employees that were dismissed from CLICO (Guyana), says General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Norris Witter.
He told the media on Thursday that in keeping with normal industrial relations practices, Geeta Singh-Knight ought to have been suspended immediately from CLICO pending the outcome of the matter.
Her continued presence, he argued, could prejudice ongoing investigations that relate to a number of not only unanswered question, but allegations of corruption within CLICO.
“We hope that a number of critical records of transactions by clients, are not misplaced or cannot be found.”
Apart from established industrial relations procedures and practices, the Union has also noted that there is a Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act that prescribes clearly, the manner in which employers have to proceed when terminating the services of employees.
Geeta Singh-Knight, Witter said, has acted in breach of the relevant sections of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act.
Since the workers are not unionized and since Knights was in breach of the Act, Witter noted, it was expected that with the powers vested in them, the Ministry of Labour could have caused her to answer for those breaches.
The recent move to the court by William Romalho, Director of CLICO (Guyana), by way of a motion to have Knights suspended from duty, among other things, has added a new dimension to a saga that has already inflicted unimaginable pain and suffering on too many for too long, Witter added.
The GTUC is of the considered view that without the active involvement of the aggrieved and civil society, a resolution of this matter will be unduly prolonged, he said.
“We, at another level, advised managers and workers to discontinue their relationship with CLICO as it relates to contribution towards pension schemes in particular.”
Only recently, Alliance For Change Leader, Raphael Trotman, said that pain and agony caused by greed, corruption, and mismanagement continue to be felt by hundreds as the full impact of the CLICO shambles unfolds.
He added that despite assurances that Government’s actions were being taken in the best interest of the workers and policyholders of CLICO, persons are losing their jobs and remain without salary since January.
The AFC leader said that to date, the judicial management process has not been reassuring to the thousands of persons whose pensions, health schemes and other investments are caught in this trap.
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