Monique Hepburn, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
VICE-PRESIDENT OF the National Workers Union, Danny Roberts, has requested an urgent meeting with Shell Company West Indies Limited representatives to get clarification on the company's operations in Jamaica and the future of its workers.
"We have heard that they are engaged in discussions with another marketing company for the purpose of sale and purchase arrangements," Mr. Roberts said in an interview with The Gleaner yesterday.
Last year, widespread speculations surfaced that the petroleum company was in dialogue with a leading marketing company for the purchase of its retail operations. The allegations were dispelled and have since resurfaced prompting the NWU, which represents clerical and supervisory workers, to request a formal statement on the matter.
The Jamaican workers now fear losing their jobs and that they too will meet the same fate of workers in Barbados, who were dismissed without warning. They also have a number of outstanding issues to be addressed by Shell, such as the renewal of existing Collective Labour Agreement and outstanding bonus payments.
"Against the background of the sell-out of retail operations in Barbados to Simpson Oil Limited (SOL) where the workers there found out at the eleventh hour, we want them to simply confirm or deny the speculations," said Mr. Roberts.
MEETING SCHEDULED
Representatives of Shell have since responded to the request and a meeting is being scheduled with the NWU.
According to Mr. Roberts, his requests are in keeping with Shell's own business principles, which advocates "transparency, openness and communication" as well as International Labour Organisation (ILO) stipulations concerning the operations of Multinational Corporations (MNCs).
"We know that the company conducts continuous reviews of its operations and is now conducting a portfolio review of its oil product businesses in Latin American regions within which Jamaica falls," the NWU vice-president added.
