Following a number of concerns raised by striking workers of the Corriverton Town Council, the Town Council’s treasurer was sent on leave – a move which has convinced the aggrieved employees to return to work.
Last week workers at the Corriverton Municipality went on strike calling for better working conditions and improved wages and salaries. The workers claim that they are being paid below the minimum wage.
One of the employees contended that the workers have been earning less since the pandemic hit Guyana in March of this year.
The employee related that she she currently being paid $9,301 weekly which represents less than half of what she previously earned.
General Secretary of the Guyana Labour Union Carville Duncan said he penned a letter to the Municipality seeking to have several issues resolved and the Municipality refused to respond forcing the Union to take industrial action.
On Monday, Mayor Winston Roberts refuted those allegations saying that the Municipality did respond to the Union.
“He did not say that we sent a reply to him. What we did was that we posted it by mail and registered it. We have the stub to prove that we sent a registered letter to him,” Roberts said.
The Union had sent the letter dated November 30, and the Municipality said it responded on December 1.
The Mayor said that the Union listed fourteen issues affecting workers. When asked what those issues were, Mayor Roberts refused to divulge details, but noted that the two sides are still locked in negotiations and will be meeting the Chief Labour Officer today (Tuesday) in an effort to resolve the differences.
He promised on Wednesday that the Municipality will be in a better position to prove more details on the matter.
