NATIONAL COMMERCIAL Bank (NCB) employees are expected to return to work this morning, but there is uncertainty as to whether normality will resume.
After an abortive four-hour attempt to resolve the pay increase dispute at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security yesterday, the Minister, Donald Buchanan, decided to refer the matter to the Industrial Disputes Tribunal.
The minister has requested that the union, the NCB Staff Association, an affiliate of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, get its members to resume normality. If this fails, the IDT will call a meeting this morning, at which time a back-to-work order would be issued.
Explaining the situation, Mr. Anthony Irons, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said last night that normality would not mean just the employees returning to work at the various branches. "It doesn't mean just returning to work, but normal as was the case prior to October 17," he said.
According to Mr. Irons, since October 17, the employees have been refusing to work additional hours.
A union source told The Gleaner yesterday that the workers would return to work this morning. However, it is unlikely that they would meet the requirement to end the demonstration over working overtime. The IDT is likely to check with the bank this morning to see whether normality, as defined by the ministry, has returned. If not, the emergency meeting would go ahead.
The workers are seeking approximately 20 per cent pay increase. The bank has offered an 8 per cent wage fund.
The strike on Wednesday, reduced customer services to the use of ATM machines. The bank, however, made special arrangements with several other financial institutions, including the CIBC, the Union Bank and the Jamaica National Building Society, to handle some transactions.
