By Damion Mitchell, Staff ReporterTHE JAMAICA Bauxite Institute (JBI) has declined to comment on what has been described by the National Workers' Union (NWU) as the "Government's failure" to facilitate five consecutive quarterly reviews of the Bauxite Industry's Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
"The National Workers' Union has written to the Prime Minister and so the Prime Minister and the Minister (of Development) would have to give a response," said Dennis Morrison, JBI's senior director last night.
The JBI is the secretariat for the MoU (also called the Manley Accord) which was signed in 1998 between the Government, trade unions and the bauxite companies and which establishes a framework for co-operation among the parties.
In the meantime, Norman DaCosta, the union's first Vice-President and Deputy Island Supervisor, said employees have been losing confidence in the MoU. And according to him, if the reviews are not resumed soon, the relationship between rank and file workers of the bauxite/alumina industry could deteriorate.
DOUBTING THE VALUE
"Workers are now doubting the value of the MoU that we did so much to bring about," said Mr. DaCosta, adding that it has resulted in among other things, "less than robust productivity in wage negotiations."
The Manley Accord became necessary in 1995 after unprecedented levels of industrial actions over wage negotiations, which contributed to reduced production and loss of foreign exchange earnings.
