SOME 70 contracted workers yesterday took industrial action at the West Indies Alumina Company (Windalco) Kirkvine plant in Mandeville, Manchester.
The workers reportedly walked off the job at about 7:00 a.m. to protest the decision by the Australian contractor to withdraw income tax from their productivity incentive payments.
Kayon Headley, communications officer at Windalco, told The Gleaner Power 106 News that the workers were employed by Henry Walker Eltin to conduct mining operations at the Kirkvine plant.
"If this protest action is prolonged there will be grave consequences on the Kirkvine plant where we already have problems," she said.
In the meantime, vice-president of the National Workers Union (NWU), Norman DaCosta, advised The Gleaner/Power 106 news centre that the affected workers have vowed to remain off the job until they receive a positive response from the company regarding the payments.
"The union is in full support of the decision taken by the beleaguered workers, all of whom have contributed to the setting of new records for tonnes of bauxite mined over the period in review," he said in a release.
He noted that both the Government and the company must take full responsibility for any disruption in alumina production due to the reneging of their commitment for tax-exempt productivity incentive.
Since January 1999, such incentive payments have been tax-exempted, providing that the productivity is measurable and verifiable.
