By Svetlana Marshall

WORKERS of the Demerara Timbers Limited (DTL) and officials of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) on Monday staged a picketing exercise outside that company’s head office in Kingston, Georgetown.They are calling on the company to engage in good faith negotiations with their union, GAWU. The logging company has not increased the salaries of its workers since 2014.

Bilateral negotiations between the union and the company reached a stalemate on November 17, 2015 after the company failed to approve any increase in wages and salaries for its workers. However, DTL had offered a Christmas bonus of $5,000 to each worker, after informing them that its financial state prevented it from offering a salary increase.

This position was, however, rejected by the workers, and a protest was staged at the company’s Mabura Hill operations on November 19, 2015.

Several long-serving employees of the company on Monday renewed their calls for a salary increase as they stood peacefully in front of the Kingston office. “It affecting all of us, because some of us are below the minimum wage for the Government; so it really affecting us,” Celine Thomas told reporters.

Derrick Toney, another protestor, said it was time the company adheres to their calls. “We out here protesting since last year, 2015, and they still ain’t increasing we salary. When the union reps call him (the General Manager) in, he refused to go, so that’s why we come out here today. He gah go meet with them,” a determined Toney posited.

Though they did not speak to reporters, other workers held placards bearing a number of slogans, including “2016 nearly done and no pay rise since 2014”, “DTL not above the law”, “DTL must engage in good faith bargaining”, “End the foot dragging!”, “Management eye-pass workers”, “CEO disrespectful to workers union and Ministry”, and “Conclude 2015 negotiations now”.

In a statement issued subsequent to the picketing exercise, GAWU explained that, after the impasse in 2015, the dispute was next subjected to conciliatory services by the Social Protection Ministry, Department of Labour, but DTL has been dragging its feet on the matter.

“On several occasions, the company refused to attend meetings summoned by the conciliator, Francis Carryl. This led to the involvement of Minister Keith Scott of the Ministry of Social Protection, who wrote the company mandating (its personnel) to meet with the union and the Ministry. Though a few meetings were held, the company remains unmoved, and is unwilling to divulge its financial statements for scrutiny by the parties,” GAWU further explained.

According to the union, the workers have grown tired of DTL’s lack of respect for them, their unions and the Social Protection Ministry. “They maintain that they are deserving of a pay raise for both 2015 and 2016, especially in view of the rising cost of living. They noted that 2016 is nearly through and the company continues to drag its feet, thus their resort to protest,” the union stated.

The workers and the union are maintaining that DTL must return to the bargaining table and favourably resolve the matter.