NWC drops charges against worker delegate
May 10, 2006
THE National Water Commission (NWC) has decided to drop all charges against a trade union delegate who has been on interdiction since December.
The delegate, Patrick Gordon, a member of the water production department, was sent off after he was accused by the management of destruction of property, failing to comply with the reasonable instructions of his supervisors and causing a cessation of work, without lawful authority.
Gordon's suspension followed a demonstration in which a number of unionised NWC workers converged on the commission's Marescaux Road plant on December 12 and blocked the main entrance to the premises. They were protesting against the delay in the settlement of a new pay and fringe benefits agreement covering the period January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2006.
The demonstration disrupted normal operations, caused a traffic jam and forced customers to park their vehicles and enter the premises on foot.
Gordon, who is a member of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) - one of four unions representing workers at the commission - was accused of instigating the action. ...
Author: Balford Henry
Source: Jamaica Observer
