Georgetown: Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott said that the Government will be establishing an industrial tribunal that will hear and determine claims related to employment matters to further address workers’ issues.
These issues include unfair dismissal, breach of contract, wages and other payments, and discrimination.
During an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Minister Scott who has responsibility for labour, noted that the plan is to create an encouraging industrial climate, so that new and current investors will see Guyana as an attractive place to do business.
On the issue of workers’ right, Minister Scott explained that the primary goal of the Labour Department is to ensure that workers are given their due. “In other words, we are going to see that workers understand that they have to give a fair day’s work and employers will understand that they have to give a fair day’s wage,” Minister Scott said.
In the interim, the Minister emphasised that inspections will continue on an everyday basis.
“Currently we are expanding the amount of inspections throughout the country…we already secured premises in Region Three so we can have officers on the ground on a full time basis,” Minister Scott noted.
Meanwhile, Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle noted that the ministry has great plans for Occupational Safety and Health in the work place. There are several pieces of legislation that the Ministry hopes to pass into law that are related to mining, chemicals and noise, Ogle said.
There will also be sensitisation sessions among employers and employees on HIV/AIDS legislation which protects persons who are living with the disease from being discriminated against in the workplace or denied the right to employment.
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