The Ministry of Labour and union representatives met Thursday
to end a strike at Kingston Wharves.
The meeting which involved the management of the company and unions representing workers whose positions were made redundant.
Operations at the facility remained at a standstill Thursday as unionised and non-unionised staff stayed off the job in solidarity with their colleagues whose positions were made redundant.
From as early at six o'clock Thursday morning scores of technical and administrative employees carried out a threat to stay off the job.
They are acting on the advice of the National Workers Union which represents some categories of workers.
The strike disrupted the processing of goods and shipping containers, as no one was allowed inside the complex at the island's main cargo port.
The company and the union have been in a long-standing dispute over plans to reduce the work force.
Kingston Wharves last month announced that there would be staff cuts due to the harsh economic climate which it said had contributed to increased operational costs.
But the NWU has insisted that the redundancy exercise is unnecessary.
NWU Spokesman Clive Dobson says things came to a head Wednesday when the company proceeded to make the posts redundant.
He told RJR News that the Ministry of Labour was making attempts to settle the matter through a meeting.
"The strike is very effective, there is no operation taking place on the wharf, none whatsoever. The Ministry has gotten in touch with me because the strike has been reported to the Ministry by the union, the workers are out," he said.
The strike is likely to cost the country thousands of dollars in much needed revenue.
Meanwhile, Kingston Wharves has issued a release confirming that it made the positions of 30 of its 150 employees, redundant.
Kingston Wharves admitted in the release that it had gone ahead with the redundancies without a final consultation with the unions.
However, it claims this is because the unions failed to respond to invitations to complete discussions on the matter.
According to the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Grantley Stephenson, in August this year, the Company met with both the National Workers' Union and its delegates along with the rest of its employees.
They were told of the need to complete the re-structuring process by mid September.
The company claims that since October 14, the NWU has failed to respond to three invitations to meet to hammer out the details.
As such, the Company decided to proceed with initiating the redundancy schedule, albeit, regretfully, without a final consultation with the Union.
Mr. Stephenson indicated that the company declined an invitation to meet last week with the Ministry and the NWU to discuss the layoffs. According to Mr. Stephenson, previous discussions with the union did not fall under the definition of a labour dispute and didn't require such a meeting.
Mr. Stephenson adds that the Union was effectively challenging the Company's right to re-structure its operations and warned that their action could set a dangerous precedent for labour relations in Jamaica.
Mr.Stephenson added that Kingston Wharves has the right and the responsibility to re-structure to safeguard its future while preserving the jobs of as many workers as possible.
He says the redundancy package extends beyond the legal requirements for payments and the company is providing entrepreneurship planning, financial and career counseling for the affected employees.
The meeting which involved the management of the company and unions representing workers whose positions were made redundant.
Operations at the facility remained at a standstill Thursday as unionised and non-unionised staff stayed off the job in solidarity with their colleagues whose positions were made redundant.
From as early at six o'clock Thursday morning scores of technical and administrative employees carried out a threat to stay off the job.
They are acting on the advice of the National Workers Union which represents some categories of workers.
The strike disrupted the processing of goods and shipping containers, as no one was allowed inside the complex at the island's main cargo port.
The company and the union have been in a long-standing dispute over plans to reduce the work force.
Kingston Wharves last month announced that there would be staff cuts due to the harsh economic climate which it said had contributed to increased operational costs.
But the NWU has insisted that the redundancy exercise is unnecessary.
NWU Spokesman Clive Dobson says things came to a head Wednesday when the company proceeded to make the posts redundant.
He told RJR News that the Ministry of Labour was making attempts to settle the matter through a meeting.
"The strike is very effective, there is no operation taking place on the wharf, none whatsoever. The Ministry has gotten in touch with me because the strike has been reported to the Ministry by the union, the workers are out," he said.
The strike is likely to cost the country thousands of dollars in much needed revenue.
Meanwhile, Kingston Wharves has issued a release confirming that it made the positions of 30 of its 150 employees, redundant.
Kingston Wharves admitted in the release that it had gone ahead with the redundancies without a final consultation with the unions.
However, it claims this is because the unions failed to respond to invitations to complete discussions on the matter.
According to the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Grantley Stephenson, in August this year, the Company met with both the National Workers' Union and its delegates along with the rest of its employees.
They were told of the need to complete the re-structuring process by mid September.
The company claims that since October 14, the NWU has failed to respond to three invitations to meet to hammer out the details.
As such, the Company decided to proceed with initiating the redundancy schedule, albeit, regretfully, without a final consultation with the Union.
Mr. Stephenson indicated that the company declined an invitation to meet last week with the Ministry and the NWU to discuss the layoffs. According to Mr. Stephenson, previous discussions with the union did not fall under the definition of a labour dispute and didn't require such a meeting.
Mr. Stephenson adds that the Union was effectively challenging the Company's right to re-structure its operations and warned that their action could set a dangerous precedent for labour relations in Jamaica.
Mr.Stephenson added that Kingston Wharves has the right and the responsibility to re-structure to safeguard its future while preserving the jobs of as many workers as possible.
He says the redundancy package extends beyond the legal requirements for payments and the company is providing entrepreneurship planning, financial and career counseling for the affected employees.
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