Lunch-hour adjustment in dispute:
Toolsie workers down tools in protest, union rep transferred
Kaieteur News, 6 February 2008
Scores of employees of Toolsie Persaud Limited downed tools yesterday
in protest of a management decision to stagger lunch hours.
According to General Secretary of the National Association of
Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), Kenneth
Joseph, the 80-odd employees who embarked on the industrial action are
from three different locations, including the hardware section on
Lombard Street and the bond at the entity’s Princes Street location.
Speaking from the Lombard Street location, where several of the
employees were gathered yesterday morning, Joseph said that there is a
labour agreement for workers to have lunch between 11:00-12:00 hrs, and
it was clear that the company’s decision to adjust the lunch breaks
without consultations with NAACIE is arbitrary.
“It is not that we distrust any changes, but we need to discuss any
changes being made with our members first.”
A meeting was scheduled between the union and members yesterday,
but on Monday, Joseph said, the company met with staff and informed
them that they will stagger the lunch hours.
Pic: Several of the striking workers assembled in front of the Lombard
Street office yesterday.
While NAACIE said that the company has not informed them of the reason
for the decision to stagger the hours, the union is of the opinion that
it is a cost-cutting measure, and employees who had previously worked
through lunch and were paid an allowance would no longer be benefiting,
since there would be a continuous flow of work.
However, the official argued, the company cannot do that, since it may
be in violation of the labour agreement and the law.
According to Joseph, in this respect it may be that the current
agreement is in breach of the Labor Act, since workers are entitled to
75 minutes lunch break.
While Toolsie Persaud is willing to adjust this time from 60 minutes
to 75 minutes, the company still insists on staggering the lunch hours.
If the company insists on implementing its plan to stagger the lunch
hour, NAACIE said, it is not ruling out extending the industrial action
to the Providence location of Toolsie Persaud.
Meanwhile, NAACIE said that it is viewing as discrimination a decision
to immediately transfer the union’s representative at the hardware
section to the Providence location. A letter was issued to the
representative two days ago.
“This is victimization,” Joseph declared. “We cannot allow this. We
are asking them to withdraw the letter and then we will talk about
anything else.”
Yesterday, management of Toolsie Persaud met with the union and asked
that workers return to work while the matter was being discussed.
Workers, however, refuse until the company decides to scrap the
decision to stagger the lunch hours.
Company officials declined to speak on the issue yesterday when
contacted.
Toolsie workers down tools in protest, union rep transferred
Kaieteur News, 6 February 2008
Scores of employees of Toolsie Persaud Limited downed tools yesterday
in protest of a management decision to stagger lunch hours.
According to General Secretary of the National Association of
Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), Kenneth
Joseph, the 80-odd employees who embarked on the industrial action are
from three different locations, including the hardware section on
Lombard Street and the bond at the entity’s Princes Street location.
Speaking from the Lombard Street location, where several of the
employees were gathered yesterday morning, Joseph said that there is a
labour agreement for workers to have lunch between 11:00-12:00 hrs, and
it was clear that the company’s decision to adjust the lunch breaks
without consultations with NAACIE is arbitrary.
“It is not that we distrust any changes, but we need to discuss any
changes being made with our members first.”
A meeting was scheduled between the union and members yesterday,
but on Monday, Joseph said, the company met with staff and informed
them that they will stagger the lunch hours.
Pic: Several of the striking workers assembled in front of the Lombard
Street office yesterday.
While NAACIE said that the company has not informed them of the reason
for the decision to stagger the hours, the union is of the opinion that
it is a cost-cutting measure, and employees who had previously worked
through lunch and were paid an allowance would no longer be benefiting,
since there would be a continuous flow of work.
However, the official argued, the company cannot do that, since it may
be in violation of the labour agreement and the law.
According to Joseph, in this respect it may be that the current
agreement is in breach of the Labor Act, since workers are entitled to
75 minutes lunch break.
While Toolsie Persaud is willing to adjust this time from 60 minutes
to 75 minutes, the company still insists on staggering the lunch hours.
If the company insists on implementing its plan to stagger the lunch
hour, NAACIE said, it is not ruling out extending the industrial action
to the Providence location of Toolsie Persaud.
Meanwhile, NAACIE said that it is viewing as discrimination a decision
to immediately transfer the union’s representative at the hardware
section to the Providence location. A letter was issued to the
representative two days ago.
“This is victimization,” Joseph declared. “We cannot allow this. We
are asking them to withdraw the letter and then we will talk about
anything else.”
Yesterday, management of Toolsie Persaud met with the union and asked
that workers return to work while the matter was being discussed.
Workers, however, refuse until the company decides to scrap the
decision to stagger the lunch hours.
Company officials declined to speak on the issue yesterday when
contacted.
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