GuySuCo, union deadlocked over fired Skeldon worker

Dec 04, 2014 News

The country’s sugar company and the main workers’ union are continuing to cross swords

File photo: Members of GAWU and GuySuCo meet in October and agreed on arbitration proceedings.

over a worker of Skeldon Factory who was fired in September, following an alleged slapping incident with the estate manager.
That incident had sparked significant strike actions by workers to have their colleague reinstated. It had also sparked countrywide blackouts because the co-generation facility at Skeldon factory could not be operated.
Yesterday, both the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), issued separate statements, disagreeing with the Arbitration Tribunal headed by former Chief Labour Officer, Mohamed Akeel.
GuySuCo insisted that the worker, Daniel Stephen, remains dismissed and that the arbitration proceedings are continuing.
GAWU, on the other hand, said that the proceedings have ended.
According to GuySuCo in a statement, Stephen is to remain off the job until the Arbitrator submits his award. The corporation claimed that GAWU was taking it upon itself to instruct the worker to go back to his duties.
“As the arbitration continues to investigate the disciplinary action taken against Daniel Stephen for physically assaulting the Estate Manager, GuySuCo made its position abundantly clear that Daniel Stephen will remain off the job until the Arbitrator submits his award. Further, the union should desist from instructing Mr. Stephen to resume work as they previously did.”
GuySuCo said its position is consistent with the Arbitrator’s letter dated November 28, 2014, where he advised GAWU that the arbitration proceedings is not concluded until the award is presented to the Chief Labour Officer and the parties involved. “The Arbitrator went further and invited the union to a meeting to “continue the process” on December 2, 2014. Unfortunately the union did not attend the meeting.”
GuySuCo said that as far as it is concerned, the arbitration is not concluded and there is no award. “Mr. Stephen‘s disciplinary action without pay will continue until otherwise ordered by the Arbitrator.”
However, GAWU insisted that the proceedings came to an end on November 26.
According to GAWU, Akeel made it clear, in his last session on November 26, 2014 that “if we don’t agree to move forward by altering the Terms of Reference which I cannot force, my duty (which is) based on the Terms of Reference is finished, because there is no disciplinary action for me to inquire into, so the matter is concluded here.”
GAWU said it was invited to another meeting on Tuesday but refused to go because the Arbitrator had already said that proceedings could not go further.
In October, both GuySuCo and GAWU agreed for arbitration after the corporation refused to reinstate the fired worker.
The industrial dispute arose after disciplinary action was taken by GuySuCo against Stephen who was accused of slapping Skeldon Estate Manager, Dave Kumar, back in September. It was alleged that the manager used racial slurs against the staff while in a drunken state.
It was agreed that the said matter be referred to an arbitration tribunal, which will enquire into the disciplinary action taken against Stephen, and having regard to the evidence and submission by the parties to make an award as the arbitrator deems fit. The parties agreed that the award of the tribunal shall be final and binding.
Skeldon sugar workers burned already cut cane stalks and protested for days following the worker’s dismissal in late September.
They were upset that the manager fired the staffer as part of disciplinary action when he was directly involved in an altercation with the staffer. They claimed at the time, the manager was drunk and that he is usually disrespectful to staff members, but picked on Stephen and used racial slurs against him. The workers remained resolute that Stephen be returned to work or they would remain on strike.