Labour Min. wants GTT, GP&SWU issue resolved so workers can benefit
Labour Minister Honorable Joseph Hamilton has called for a meeting with the Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company Limited (GTT) and the Guyana Postal and Telecommunications Workers Union (GP&TWU) to resolve an ongoing matter.
The Minister today met with representatives of the (GP&TWU) including its President Harold Shepherd.
Speaking with DPI on the sidelines of the meeting Mr. Shepherd revealed that in March this year, the union met with GTT where they were informed that the company intended to “wind up” the pension scheme effective 1 May, 2020.
Mr. Shepherd explained that “we would have requested detailed documentation from GTT surrounding the entire issue. The company has failed, to date, to provide us with the necessary financial information as it relates to the pension scheme in terms of the value of the pension scheme, actual report of the pension scheme in terms of how many members are in the pension scheme of GTT so we could make an informed decision to advise our membership.”
As a result of GTT’s failure to provide this requested documentation, the union approached the Ministry of Labour for a Conciliation meeting which will now head to Arbitration, the union president stated.
The GP&TWU represents approximately 200 workers at GTT.
Minister Hamilton told DPI that he has proposed, to both parties, that a meeting be held once there is “nothing procedurally or legally” impeding him from doing so.
“The people who are most important in everything that is happening are the employees and both of them must pay attention to that. As I understand it, already many persons would have left this world, who are beneficiaries and I suspect that if this is not resolved expeditiously many other persons are going to leave here. So, the question is…if we continue, how does it benefit the people who are beneficiaries?”
Last week the Labour Minister met representatives of GTT on the issues between the two parties
“I suspect that both parties will have to be mature enough to merge their thoughts and find a middle ground,” he noted.
Minister Hamilton shared that he is optimistic that the matter is resolved so the beneficiaries “get what belongs to them at the earliest opportunity.”
It is hoped that the meeting will be held during the coming week.