Dionne Rose,
Staff Reporter
THE MINISTRY of Labour and Social Security is currently reviewing
claims by the National Workers Union (NWU) that Airlift Handlers
Limited had carried out union-busting when the company dismissed
some 20 workers at the company on Saturday.
Gresford Smith, chief technical director at the ministry, told
The Gleaner on Monday that the ministry would decide whether
the director of public prosecutions (DPP) would be asked to pursue
action against the company.
"We are looking into it and we will be making a decision on that
very soon," said Mr. Smith.
The NWU claimed that the dismissals were in retaliation for the
workers' decision to seek membership in the union, after taking
two days of industrial action last week.
The company, on the other hand, is countering that the dismissals
are a result of the reduction in flights being operated by its
client, Air Jamaica, making it unnecessary to have so many workers.
BARGAINING RIGHTS POLL
But island supervisor of the NWU, Vincent Morrison, said the
union would be pushing for quick action by the Labour Ministry
to resolve the impasse, including the holding of a bargaining
rights poll requested last year. The union, he said, will be also
taking legal action against the company.
"Our legal officers will be looking on the issue to see whether
or not we could take an injunction, barring the company from terminating
the workers and employing new workers in their positions," Mr.
Morrison said.
Senior negotiator at the NWU, Granville Valentine, had threatened
a national strike in response to the dismissal of the workers
at Airlift Handlers.
But Mr. Morrison said while this is not being ruled out, it is
too early to make a decision.
"No decision formally has been taken on this. This would entail
a great deal of planning. If we are talking about a national strike,
we would have to involve other trade unions but this is
an option that certainly we will not rule out in the future,"
he said.
The last general strike in Jamaica was staged in 1985.
