By Gemma Handy
Antigua Masonry Products workers are set to resume strike action on Thursday morning as they continue to clamour for retirement benefits and salary increases.
This week’s strike – which began on Monday – is the second time in two months that employees have taken to the picket line amid faltering negotiations with bosses at the construction materials company.
The action has once again brought operations at the Jennings-based firm to a standstill.
The latest strike saw a temporary pause when the union representing the workers received court papers informing them that the company had referred the matter to the industrial court.
That meant, by law, the strike had to stop and the employees were told to return to work by the Free Trade Union which is fighting their case.
However, a series of subsequent twists saw the action resume on Wednesday.
“The industrial court took the matter to be urgent and a hearing was scheduled for case management on Friday of this week,” union president Samuel James told Observer.
“But apparently it would appear that moments after the notice was issued, the employer filed a notice of discontinuation at the industrial court, effectively informing the court that they have withdrawn the matter.”
Shortly after that, James said, he received notice of a meeting with the Labour Minister for Thursday at noon.
James had not confirmed the union’s availability for the meeting up to news time – and told Observer workers would be back on the picket line Thursday morning.
“The employer now having withdrawn the matter from the court simply put everything back to the status quo and so the employees then had the right to continue their industrial action,” he explained.
“We are continuing to press the employer for the conditions that we think are just and reasonable, and we intend to maintain our action until such time common sense prevails and the workers are treated in a fair and equitable manner,” James added.
The union has been demanding a salary increase of EC$25 a year for the preceding three years for each of the 65 workers it represents. James says the company has offered significantly less at $10. The firm has also apparently proposed an additional $2,000 retroactive payment per employee.
The parties are also fighting over a salary increase for the next three years.
Workers who spoke to Observer in July complained of being exposed to dust and other harmful particles without any risk, medical, or health insurance.
They said most are paid around $500-675 per week for what they described as “challenging” work.
Observer approached the company for comment. None was forthcoming up to news time.
