Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
MORE THAN 200 independent contract workers who took strike action at the Jamalco bauxite refinery in Clarendon on Tuesday returned to work yesterday morning.
The workers had taken strike action to protest the company's refusal to grant them the right to union representation.
The decision to return to work was made following a meeting yesterday morning between the workers and representatives of the Union of Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Personnel (UTASP) and the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions.
UNION GOES TO COURTS
General Secretary of UTASP, St. Patrice Ennis told The Gleaner that following a marathon meeting at the Labour Ministry it was decided that the matter of union representation for the workers would be addressed through the courts.
He said the matter would be dealt with expeditiously.
"We have also agreed that we will retain the services of an attorney ... to collect data from the contractors to determine their true status and conditions of work for the writ to be filed to determine their true status," Mr. Ennis said.
In addition, he said the Labour Minister, Horace Dalley, had assured the workers that no sanctions would be laid against them following their protest action.
The island's trade unions had threatened a two-day shutdown of the bauxite sector if the matter had not been resolved.
Meanwhile, Jamalco said it was still conducting an assessment of the impact of the strike action by workers on the company's operations.
According to communications manager, Blossom Laidlaw, operations at the refinery are gradually returning to normal.
"We are pleased that the individual contractors have decided to end industrial action and taken their bid for representational rights through the legal process," said Alberto Fabrini, location manager, in a statement issued by the company.
