By Balford Henry, News EditorREPRESENTATIVES OF Caribbean Construction Co. (CCC) and the National Workers' Union were meeting at the Ministry of Labour, central Kingston, late last night, in a bid to avert more problems threatening the US$115 million expansion project at the Jamalco alumina refinery at Halse Hall, Clarendon.
At 9 o'clock, spokesmen for the ministry and the parties conceded that the discussions would likely extended beyond midnight. There was no indication of an agreement up to then.
A confrontation yesterday between the May Pen police and some 60 workers who lost their jobs at the mud lake expansion project over a week ago, soured the situation. The ex-workers claimed that they were threatened and intimidated by the police.
The police said that the ex-workers were asked to keep clear of the entrance to the plant, because they had been occupying the area daily since they lost their jobs and had been acting "in a militant way" to other workers.
Jamalco is a 50/50 partnership between Alcoa Inc. of the United States, and the Government of Jamaica, with Alcoa as the managing partner.
Yesterday, Ruddy Spencer, senior vice president of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, wrote toPrime Minister Patterson urging his intervention in the matter to avoid further conflict. He claimed that workers seeking union representation were being victimised and treated with hostility by the management.
The Jamaica Employers' Federation has called for a revision of the Ministry of Labour's policies and procedures regarding the conducting of bargaining rights poll. This was triggered by the problems which have prevailed at the Jamalco mud lake site since February 20, when the National Workers Union won a poll at the site, but the workers lost their jobs the following day after the contractor, CCC, pulled out. The union has accused the company of union busting. The matter was the main issue being discussed at last night's meeting.
Horace Dalley, Minister of Labour and Social Security, held a high level meeting with the senior management of Jamalco and government officials at his ministry on Monday, prior to his departure on a tour of overseas facilities which recruit Jamaican workers through the ministry. Ministry of Labour officials said last night that the Minister was being kept abreast of the developments.
At Monday's meeting, Mr. Dalley had proposed a course of action "aimed at resolving the impasse in the shortest possible time." Those proposals were being put to the NWU last night.
Dalley instructed the ministry to ensure that the mud lake workers are paid all outstanding payments. There were indications at last night's talks that the 64 workers formerly employed by CCC at the mud lake expansion would be paid off.
In its statement on the issue yesterday, the Jamaica Employers' Federation said that that CCC's "only remaining interest in the project is ensuring that its ex-employees receive their full entitlements to termination pay."
Jamalco had informed the minister on Monday that CCC, a sub-contractor on the mud lake site, was no longer engaged on the project, but that the workers had continued to block the entrance to the plant resulting in the closure of the site.
The workers lost their jobs the day after they elected the NWU to represent them and CCC's contracted was immediately terminated. The union has described the action as "union busting."
Jerome Maxwell, Jamalco's managing director, informed the ministry that there was a tense industrial environment at the plant which was threatening the US$115 million expansion. The project has so far employed some 300 workers, but should peak at approximately 1,000 workers later this year.
The NWU and the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union jointly claimed bargaining rights yesterday on behalf of some 300 workers employed by nine contractors involved in various aspects of the expansion at the alumina refinery.
The contractors involved are main contractor Kier/Commercial Contracting Company (Jamaica); Joint Venture of San Antonio, Texas; and sub contractors- PAHK, Solid Rock Contractors, Jamaica Installation and Ducking, Automatic Computer System, F.C. Reynolds, Chicago Bridge Iron Company, ONYX Contractors and Trevor Dunkley & Company.
