The Clerical and Commercial Workers’ Union (CCWU) has voiced significant alarm over the recent propaganda statements circulated by the management of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation (CJIA), which pressure employees into signing these documents. In a statement from the Union’s General Secretary, Sherwood Clarke, it was noted that CCWU members are actively engaged in liberation efforts focused on dismantling oppressive systems associated with harsh and exploitative working conditions. They are also advocating for the recognition of workers’ rights as fundamental human rights.
While discussions around rights issues often spark debate, the topics of exploitative labor conditions and overtime pay have become focal points of contention between the CCWU and CJIA. The Union has thoroughly reviewed the labor laws of Guyana and the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) to clarify these matters:
1. According to THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE (2016), ORDER under THE LABOUR ACT (Cap: 98:01), Clause 6 (Normal Hours of Work), the standard workweek is defined as forty hours, spread over no more than five days.
2. The Labour (Conditions of Employment of Certain Workers) Act specifies that workers required to work on Sundays or public holidays must receive at least one and a half times their hourly rate for those hours, as outlined in Section (4)(2).
3. The current CLA includes Clause Three, which pertains to overtime: “While overtime is not compulsory, there may be occasions when staff must work additional hours. In these instances, the Corporation will strive to provide employees with reasonable notice. Authorized overtime will be compensated at the following rates:
– I. For employees working beyond the basic forty hours per week, they shall receive one and a half times their basic hourly rate for all overtime hours.
– II. For employees working on their days off or Sundays, compensation will be double their basic hourly rate.
– III. Employees permitted to work on designated Public Holidays will receive double their hourly rate for the following holidays:
1. Phagwah Day
2. Good Friday
3. Easter Monday
4. Eid-Ul-Azah
5. Labour Day
6. Christmas Day
– All other holidays will be compensated at one and a half times the basic hourly rate.
Clarke highlighted that the Agreement includes a section on the ‘Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes,’ which states that any interpretative disagreements between the parties must be referred to the Chief Labour Officer for resolution. He noted that under the leadership of Dhaneshwar Deonarine, the Chief Labour Officer has favored the employees of CJIA, despite conciliation efforts made on September 2, 2024, where management allegedly did not act in good faith. “The Chief Labour Officer has now officially declared a deadlock in this matter,” Clarke stated.
In light of management’s actions, the CCWU plans to send a letter to President Ali requesting his intervention in interpreting the overtime clause within the CLA between the CCWU and CJIA. Clarke also mentioned that international trade union organizations, representing over 40 million workers from 670 unions across 150 countries, are prepared to support the CCWU in addressing the challenges faced by employees at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation (CJIA).
