Latest update February 23rd, 2025 1:40 PM
Jun 05, 2010 News
“…police, courts have to decide on riotous, threatening behaviour”
Veteran Trade Unionist and current General Secretary of the Caribbean Congress of Labour Lincoln Lewis says that while he is not surprised that the government did not support the ‘No Confidence Motion’ against Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir, he is surprised that they did not deal with the issue at hand.
Lewis said that what was pellucid, however, was the fact that the Government is now working with employers to undermine the Trade Union Movement in Guyana.
This he said is evident in the disclosure by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds that he was advising the company.
Lewis said that what the Government Speakers did was just to skirt around the issue and delve into a history class in an attempt to say that the People’s National Congress Reform should not speak on the issue.
The trade unionist said that the issue lies in the actions or inactions of the Minister to act on behalf of the Workers as he is obligated under the laws of Guyana.
On the issue of the option that was offered to the workers by the company, Lewis said the Union chose the option of the 10 per cent increase in payment which entailed the retrenchment, but when the agreement was presented to be signed, it said that the 10 per cent would only be on the retroactive payment which would be released in tranches and not apply to any increase in current wages.
This he said the union could not accept.
As it relates to the incident in May last year which forced industrial action and the Prime Minister said that the Chief Labour Officer acted on, Lewis said that the issue is yet to be resolved and that the Ministry is dragging its feet on that course of action.
Lewis explained that under the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) should there be industrial action, upon the workers return to work, it must be status quo ante and no discrimination must be imposed.
This was not realized, according to Lewis.
As it relates to the claims by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds that the 57 workers were dismissed as a result of riotous and threatening behaviour during a strike last year, Lewis said that it is for the police and courts to decide riotous and threatening behavior, not the company.
He further cited the fact that the strike did not occur on the compound of the company and as such riotous and threatening behaviour ought not to be a factor by which the company could decide on dismissing the employees.
Feb 23, 2025
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