Concerns over alleged bad industrial relations (IR) practices at the Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Corporation Ltd (Plipdeco) were brought to the fore at yesterday’s Joint Select Committee meeting, held in Parliament yesterday. Appearing before the committee, headed by Independent Senator David Small, was Plipdeco’s Chairman Ian Atherly, President Ashley Taylor and members of the Ministry of Transport including its Permanent Secretary Verna Johnson.
Small asked Plipdeco to give the committee an idea of the human resource climate at the company as there were reports regarding alleged unjust practices. “We have representation from members of the public whereby one person wrote and said he was called into the office one day and told he was given the option to either resign today or other measures would be taken. That seems extreme.
“The issue here is that it is confirmed in writing. I am concerned about that. It may be spurious and I understand the matter is not completely settled but for me, even if it is, the first opportunity was brought before the manager or whoever to say we have a problem with your performance. This flies in the face of every basic rule of industrial relations, which is why the matter is going to court,” Small said.
He said there was more than one such incident and, according to the documents Plipdeco had submitted, there was one case which was settled in the industrial court for an “extremely large amount.” This, Small said, suggested it was a particularly egregious matter. “So that somewhere in the system I think there may be an issue because representations have been made and I am concerned about that because this is a company in which the State has a controlling share.
“I am concerned where companies could be perceived as following the collective bargaining agreement when it comes to pay bonuses but when [it comes] to proper IR practices it does not appear so, at least in the one or two instances,” Small said. In response, Taylor said he was surprised by these claims and that the company was always above board when dealing with industrial relations issues.
He said the matters would have to be fully investigated and the relevant facts obtained. “But I can assure you that what you are outlining has not and will not be the policy of the corporation as far as dealing with industrial relations matters. “I really cannot speak to what you outline there because we don’t have the facts but I can assure you that approach is not the policy of the corporation,” Taylor added.
The issue of security was also raised, to which Plipdeco responded that two scanners would be installed before the second quarter of this year.