TRADE UNION leaders in the bauxite/alumina sector are disgruntled over a decision to leave them off a Jamaican delegation which left yesterday to visit Kaiser's Gramercy plant in New Orleans.
Three union leaders Norman (NWU), Lambert Brown (UAWU) and Reg Ennis, whose UTASP represents the industry's supervisors should have been part of the delegation. They were informed by Kaiser at the last minute, that it would have been "inconvenient" for them to come again.
They have blamed Jamaican government representatives in the team for demanding that they be left, leading to Kaiser's decision to withdraw the invitation to them.
The delegation which left yesterday consisted of Minister of Mining and Energy, Bobby Pickersgill, Jamaica Bauxite Institute head Dr. Carlton Davis, BATCO's head Vin Lawrence and government bauxite/alumina administrators Dennis Morrison, Parris Lyew-Ayee and Las Davis. They are scheduled to be joined in New Orleans by Jamaica's ambassador to the United States, Richard Bernal, today.
Both Mr. DaCosta and Mr. Brown think that Kaiser's decision was influenced by the insistence of "at least two" of the Government officials that they be not included. Asked what they thought could have led to that, they both said that it is linked to their public statements following the announcement of the sale of Alcan's assets.
Mr. DaCosta said that he had been severely criticised for confirming that there would be lay-offs at Alcan.
Mr. Brown said: "We don't think that Kaiser had a problem with us coming...We know where the problem is. The Government is not happy with the comments we made regarding the recent developments at Alcan."
He said, however, that he was sure that Kaiser would arrange for all three union representatives to visit the plant at an early date. They are to meet with Gramercy workers and their unions on the local Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the focal point of the invitation to them.
Kaiser Jamaica resumed alumina production at Gramercy late last year, a development expected to have a significant impact on local Jamaica bauxite production and lead to a doubling of annual exports in 2001.
The Gramercy, Louisiana alumina refinery was closed on July 5, 1999, following an explosion which disabled its digestion unit. The closure interrupted a 4-year unbroken record of bauxite shipments from Jamaica to Gramercy by Kaiser and caused a severe curtailment in KJBC's normal bauxite production and export levels.
