GAWU calls off strike at Demerara Timbers Limited - parties to meet today with Chief Labour Officer

GAWU calls off strike at Demerara Timbers Limited
- parties to meet today with Chief Labour Officer
Kaieteur News, 9 October 2007

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) has called
off the strike at Demerara Timbers Limited, after agreeing to meet
today with an official from the Ministry of Labour.

GAWU's General Secretary, Seepaul Narine told Kaieteur News that the
union's decision came yesterday after Chief Labour Officer in the
Ministry of Labour, Mohamed Akeel, requested that the two parties meet
with him.

He said that the 150 striking employees will also resume duty today.

On Friday, workers at DTL's Mabura branch took strike action to demand
that the company pays them money that it has owed them since last year.

GAWU has accused GTL of failing to pay in full the 5.5 percent increase
that the firm had agreed to give its staff in 2006.

In a letter to the company's General Manager, Narine charged that the
workers are yet to receive their retroactive payment for the period
January 1, 2007 to August 03, 2007, and retroactive payment for
overtime work done in 2005.

He also requested that the GTL officials meet with the union to address
other claims that the union had made for the workers for 2007.