The foreign-owned Demerara Timbers Limited (DTL) continues to disrespect the rights of its workers and flout the Laws of Guyana. For some years now, the company has refused to engage the GAWU in Collective Bargaining though it is obligated, in our view, to engage the Union. The company’s disrespectful attitude extends to the Government as well. On more than one occasion, the former Department of Labour invited to company to engagements on the matter which it simply refused to attend. The obnoxious attitude of the company is unbecoming and speaks to respect it has for the Guyanese working people.
The attitude of the company prompted the GAWU to lodge a formal complaint with the former Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board (TURCB) headed by retired Justice Claudette La Bennet. The TURCB, at that time, had referred the matter to the former Attorney-General for prosecution recognising the open and close nature manner of the matter. Dismayingly, weeks and months turned into years and the then Attorney-General, from all indications, dragged his feet on the matter. One wonders whether the then Attorney-General’s attitude was related to the Union the complaint emanated from.
More recently, the GAWU resubmitted its complaint to the newly-reconstituted TURCB headed by former Labour Minister, Dr. Nanda Gopaul. The TURCB wrote the company emphasizing that it is obligated to engage the GAWU. The company, we are aware, has responded to the TURCB though, in our view, in an improper manner. We are hopeful that the TURCB will pursue stronger measures against the company to ensure that it complies with the spirit and letter of the law.
