By Sue-Ann Wayow
REPUBLIC Bank Limited has been ordered to pay 23 workers for refusing to work in hazardous conditions.
In a media release on Tuesday, the Banking Insurance and General Workers’ Union (BIGWU) outlined the reason for the payment to workers at the bank’s Tunapuna Branch.
BIGWU stated that on December 10, 2021, the workers discovered that their manager had contracted Covid-19 but was physically in and around most of their work stations in the building before being officially diagnosed and sent on confinement.
According to BIGWU, the shop stewards approached the bank seeking to have the premises shut down and properly sanitised for the health and safety of themselves and the customers, but the bank refused, forcing the workers to evacuate the building and refusing to work in the unsafe environment.
BIGWU’s second vice-president Jason Brown, guided the workers to cover themselves legally under section 15, 16 and 17 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) and immediately contacted the bank to secure the protection of the workers.
However, the bank allegedly never responded, leaving the 23 workers to languish in the car park (basement) of the building for the entire day.
On January, 26, 2022, without any prior discussions, the bank issued warning letters to all the workers of the Tunapuna branch and advised them that they will be deducting that day from their salary and then proceeded to do so.
The union immediately wrote to Republic Bank and advised if the warning letters were not withdrawn and the workers were not repaid, that it would face legal action. Republic Bank did not rescind the decision and the matter was referred to the Ministry of Labour.
The workers were again represented by Brown, who used the provisions of the OHSA and the bank’s own failures in his arguments.
The Bank then advised the ministry that the warning letters will be expunged from the workers’ files and the salary deducted will be repaid to the workers on or before the end of July, 2022 and a Memorandum of Agreement signed.
BIGWU stated, “This victory belongs to the tenacity of the workers and the faithful shop stewards at RBL Tunapuna Branch, whose actions stayed consistent with the precise advice provided by the Union and which ultimately kept them safe and well protected not only from a hazardous virus but also from a vindictive act of intimidation.”
