UC Rusal workers take industrial action over wages
Published:Wednesday | November 18, 2020 | 2:15 PM
Lands and agriculture dairy workers employed to UC Rusal Alumina Jamaica Limited have taken industrial action amid the breakdown of wage negotiations at the Labour Ministry, the Union of Clerical, Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE) has indicated.
UCASE, which represents the workers, said in a statement today that a meeting at the ministry yesterday ended in a stalemate.
Union president Vincent Morrison says he has since asked Labour Minister Karl Samuda for his intervention.
The union says over 70 employees have taken industrial action.
UCASE and the workers are accusing the company of being unreasonable.
Earlier this month, upset workers staged a demonstration to press their case in the negotiations.
UCASE says the union and UC Rusal have been negotiating a new collective labour agreement since August 2018.
This follows UCASE obtaining bargaining rights for the employees in a poll conducted by the Ministry of Labour in May 2018.
According to the union, the company made a proposal of four percent in year 1 and year 2 along with a $4,000 laundry allowance per month.
The union accepted the company’s offer.
According to the union, the company is now demanding that it agree to extend the contract for an additional two years at zero percent in the third and fourth year.
UCASE says it does not support this position, especially in light of the fact that the employees have not had a wage increase since UC Rusal took over the ownership and management of the company in June 2010.
The basic wage currently paid to the employees is $1,650 per day, according to the union.
It also claims that employees are subjected to poor working conditions.
UCASE says the workers are adamant that the company can do much better and that they will not accept a four-year contract in which the last two years will be meaningless to them.
Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.