By John Myers, Jr. Staff ReporterTHE MANAGEMENT of the AUS-JAM Mining Co., Pennants, north central Clarendon, is maintaining that the firm has not restarted operations despite claims to the contrary by the United Union of Jamaica (UUJ).
Brett Young, managing director of AUSJAM, in an interview with The Gleaner, said it was undertaking explorations in search of an adequate supply of gold reserves to determine whether to restart operations.
However, James Francis, the UUJ president and head of the union which represents the displaced workers, is accusing the company's management of misleading the public. On Thursday, Mr. Francis charged that the management "got mad and locked all these workers out, all these men who dig the dirt for three years without uniform."
CLAIMS OF UNION-BUSTING
According to Mr. Francis, who marched to The Gleaner's offices on North Street, central Kingston, with some disgruntled workers, the plant was back in full operation and the management had employed a new set of workers, some of whom had been fired in the early stages of the operations. "This is tantamount to union-busting," he said. The displaced workers claim that those who are currently at the plant were employed on contract.
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, after he was bombarded by the said group of workers while touring a media house on Thursday, has since ordered Horace Dalley, Minister of Labour, to investigate the matter and prepare a report by today for the issue to be discussed at the weekly Cabinet meeting.
A news release from the Prime Minister's Office said he had acknowledged that "there are legal processes which companies should follow as it relates to how they declare redundancy and the re-hiring of workers after the company has closed."
In December 2003, AUSJAM Mining Co., which began prospecting for gold here three years ago, ceased operations. The management said then that the decision was made amid unreasonable demands by the union and depleting gold reserves. As a result, 18 workers lost their jobs.
