The Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT), which deals with disputes involving unionised as well as non-unionised workers, is settling a wage dispute between Windalco (UC Rusal Alumina Jamaica) Limited and the Union of Clerical, Administrative & Supervisory Employees, increased Windalco's offer to six per cent for the period November 2019 to November 2021.
In addition to other benefits, the union requested a 12 per cent wage increase for year one and a 15 per cent for year two.
Last month, the Tribunal said the one per cent increase was based on the circumstances of gradual improvements in the company's finances and the inflation out-turn in 2020 and 2021, which accumulated to a 12.5 per cent increase.
King's Counsel Allan Wood, the company representative, stated that the union's claim centred on the claim that they "want to go back to the glory days of the past and seems quite oblivious of the changes which have taken place in the industry which led to the closure of the plant and redundancy of workers."
In October last year, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security referred the dispute to the Tribunal concerning the union's claim for increased wages and other improved fringe benefits for November 2019 to November 2021. However, the union called witnesses to support its claim.
In his testimony opposing the claim, Leonid Stavitskiy, the Managing Director of the company, citing the company's brief, which estimated the cost to implement the union's claim at US$10.6 million.
"The company depended on support from its parent company UC Rusal to survive, as the local process was not profitable."
The Tribunal stated, "There is also a gradual decline in aluminium content in its bauxite ore, which has to do with the facility's longevity. While the Ewarton Alumina Plant remains the only one open in Jamaica, the age and size of the facility have resulted in increased production costs and a decline in Ewarton's alumina production in 2019, 2020 and 2021 when compared with any three years before the plant's closure."
"We strongly encourage the parties to actively pursue a retirement scheme in which they could consider participating for the benefit of the workers," the Tribunal added.
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