NICIL says sacking of 49 Wales workers is part of transition plans

The government-run National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) yesterday said that its termination of the services of 49 workers who were employed by the company at Wales Estate is linked to the establishment of the Wales Development Authority (WDA).

NICIL provided the explanation as the agency sought to respond to concerns raised yesterday by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) over the dismissal of the workers.

With the announcement of the composition of the WDA, NICIL said it  sought to “reorganize its operations across its varied locations.”

The workers, who were left behind at the Wales Estates after its closure, were mainly engaged in providing security and performing labour tasks. They were employed up to December 31, 2020

GAWU, in a statement issued yesterday morning, said the “sudden termination” dumbfounded the workers, who were “completely unprepared for the bombshell announcement.”

NICIL, however, said that security workers were allowed to secure employment through the recently engaged private security company and the other workers would be contracted as necessary on an ad-hoc basis to provide maintenance services on the estate.

Following the closure of the estate, NICIL said it retained the 49 workers, who were paid fortnightly and employed in various fields, including administration, compound maintenance, and agriculture, with security workers making up the majority.

The union, on the other hand, said it found the actions of NICIL to be “deeply disturbing” as the workers were effectively represented prior to NICIL’s decision.

The union said that the workers, during last year, had approached it to speak on their behalf. As a result, the union, on November 6, 2020, applied to the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board (TURCB) seeking to be recognised as their bargaining agent.

“Following receipt of our application, the TURCB approved the conduct of a survey, in keeping with the Trade Union Recognition Act. The survey sought to determine whether the GAWU enjoyed the workers support. Attempts to commence the survey were short-circuited by NICIL, which, on two occasions did not turn up for meetings organized by the TURCB to commence the process. Subsequently, NICIL, by letter of December 11, 2020, wrote the TURCB seeking to commence the process on December 31, 2020, the union noted.  It is unclear why NICIL would have set a December 31 date for the survey if it had already decided that the workers would be dismissed.

Due to the way the events unfolded, the union yesterday wrote to the TURCB Chairman, Dr N.K. Gopaul, to apprise him of the developments on the issue.

“In our correspondence, we pointed out that the actions of the NICIL are in grave contravention of the Trade Union Recognition Act ….and we sought the Board’s immediate intervention to apprehend the matter and ensure that the workers’ rights are upheld,” the union said, having charged that the firings appeared as a deliberate ploy to thwart the workers’ attempt to secure a union of their choice.

NICIL, in its response yesterday afternoon, pointed out that when it received the letter from the TURCB, plans were already in place to effect the transfer of the Wales Estate to facilitate the creation of the Wales Development Authority. NICIL added that its actions to move from fortnightly paid workers were in full support of its intent to ready the Estate for the ultimate transition.

The union, however maintained that the actions of the state institution undermine the efforts of the government as they aim to “breathe life back into the former sugar producing community”.

“For the workers, given the depression that has gripped Wales since the estate was closed at the end of 2016, it represented a cherished source of sustenance. We are aware of the efforts of the incumbent Administration as they seek to breathe life back into the former estate communities and the actions of the state-owned holding company, in our view, serves to gravely undermine those efforts,”the union said.