LA TOUCHE: WORKERS IN THE COUNTRY  MUST BE RESPECTED

One week after they were sent home indefinitely without their fortnightly wages, close to one hundred workers at RDF Enterprises have been called back to work.

This was disclosed by President of the Grenada Manual Maritime Intellectual Workers Union (GMMIWU) Bert La. Touche whose union is the bargaining agent for the employees at the Estate. Addressing a public meeting of the Grenada United Labour Party (GULP) in Birch Grove last Sunday, La. Touche announced that the workers were asked to return to work this Monday.

The employees who are attached to the organic banana project at the River Antoine were sent home indefinitely on January 31st by management. The decision to send home the workers came after RDF Enterprises is reported to have experienced a short fall in their financial resources.

The dismissed workers were responsible for the  direct involvement in deflowering, cutlassing and preparation of organic bananas for sale. Grenada has decided to get involved in the production of organic bananas as a result of a campaign launched by the Windward Islands Banana Development Exporting Company (WIBDECO) in June 2001. The company is hoping to develop an organic product industry in the Windward Islands.

This project involves the Grenada Banana Co-operative Society (GBCS) Ministry of Agriculture, the WIBDECO and Sainsbury, the largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. The money for the Project was guaranteed last year by the Grenada government from the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) to the tune of three million, five hundred and thirty one thousand, nine hundred and seventy dollars ($3,531,970).

La. Touche informed the gathering that the union was told by management that the workers should return to work this Monday and they will receive their salaries shortly. This is the same day the GMMIWU had planned to march into St. George's to the offices of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) who are the main financiers for the project.

The GMMIWU President General believes that the threats made by the union were responsible for the decision by management to reinstate the employees. He disclosed however that there is still another matter to be ironed out. This is the hiring of contractual labour since this is a breach of the industrial agreement the company has with the union.

Last week the GMMIWU boss charged the management of the company with hiring contractual labour and paying them more money than the permanent employees. Quoting from their industrial agreement he noted that any worker by the union on contract is entitled to automatic representation by the GMMIWU.

La. Touche, who is also the Vice President of the GULP  threatened to take the matter before the Ministry of Labour  for conciliation if he is not satisfied with the way the issue is dealt with. In his address, the trade unionist accused the government of being anti worker saying that they have decided to contract out road work which once employed poor people in the country.

"We are calling for a genuine workers' government, a genuine poor peoples' government which only the GULP provide. We must bring back the GULP so that the rights of workers will be protected" La Touche added.