Dionne Rose, Staff ReporterTHE NATIONAL Workers Union (NWU) says it will be requesting a meeting with the management of the Jamaica Flour Mills (JFM) to discuss when the company will reinstate three employees who were made redundant in 1999.
Last week, the United Kingdom-based Privy Council upheld a 2004 Jamaican Court of Appeal ruling that the three JFM employees were unjustifiably dismissed and should be reinstated.
Clive Dobson, NWU president told The Gleaner yesterday that the union would be sending a letter tomorrow, requesting a meeting with the company to ascertain when the award made by the U.K.-based court will be implemented.
He said the letter was delayed because of the Easter holidays.
In the meantime, Mr. Dobson said that the ruling by the Privy Council, upholding the Jamaican Court of Appeal ruling, was cause for elation.
HAPPY, ELATED
"I am very happy, very much elated; it is a judgment that is just, it has vindicated workers and trade unions across the planet," he said.
Mr. Dobson said that for too long employers have been using the redundancy course as cause to dismiss workers, but that the Privy Council has put the matter to rest. He said the judgment would be studied by the trade unions and used to run seminars for trade unionists.
In the meantime, Horace Dalley, minister of labour and social security, said the ruling had reaffirmed that the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) was an effective and credible machine for the settlement of industrial disputes.
He said that over the last 10 years, there were 14 awards by the IDT that were challenged in the courts. Ten of these awards were upheld by the courts, two were withdrawn and two quashed.
"I am convinced that the outcome of this case will redound to a healthier industrial relations climate, which is so critical for us to succeed in a competitive global environment," he added.
Minister Dalley said that the ministry would continue to monitor and facilitate the industrial relations process and would be doing ongoing evaluation and institutional strengthening, in collaboration with the social partners.
