THE telecommunications giant GT&T has issued a press release reiterating its deepest regret at the unfortunate accident which resulted in the death of its employee Mr. Vijai Gaznabi on Monday, November 3, 2014.

The release said the company remains saddened by the accident, and has been actively giving its fullest support to family members and loved ones of the late Vijai Gaznabi during this difficult period.

“We have noted the comments in the Press Statement issued by the Guyana Postal and Telecommunications Workers Union (GPTWU) to the media, and are concerned about the several inaccuracies in the release, the timing of which we view as opportunistic and somewhat in poor taste, given this period of mourning in the organisation”, the GT&T press release disclosed.

The company has said it has taken this opportunity to offer clarity to the GPTWU missive, and intends for this clarification to be its only response to the GPTWU in this matter.

The company has said that its maximum priority placed on Labour Relations and Occupational Safety and Health is manifested in its collective bargaining agreement. Hence, contrary to the GPTWU thinking, every employee of the GT&T has a reasonable expectation to be afforded the opportunity for promotion in any work situation. Therefore, to equate the justified promotion of staff as “Union Busting” is in itself tantamount to the Union’s questioning of the merits of its membership’s ability for upward professional mobility.

Moreover, the company has said, promotion of staff in no way affects or diminishes the level of supervision offered to its workforce, because there are tiers of supervision which go right up to the level of the Executive.

Further, the company has said, technicians are provided with assistance from contracted labourers based on the assessment of the assignment and/or their request; and staff members are all provided with safety gear relevant to their area of work, and are routinely implored to use same as they embark on every assignment.

The company has also said it has undertaken a comprehensive review of the incident, and will continue to work constructively with the Union and other relevant bodies to further review its practices, protocols which would result in more rigid enforcement of all procedures, including safety best practices.