Labour Commissioner, Cyrus Griffith has ruled that the workers of RBTT Grenada Limited who have been affected by the sale of the Bank are entitled to exercise the option to decide whether they wish to be terminated and receive termination allowance or continue with the new owners.
REPORT:
The Union and the Bank were unable to resolve the matter of the RBTT Grenada Workers having the options as contained under Sections 45 (1) & (2) of the Grenada Employment act relative to the aspect of Successor Employer and other benefits enjoyed by the workers under the Collective Labour Agreement.
TAWU has always argued that the workers have the right to exercise the option to either be terminated and receive termination allowance or continue with the new owners.
RBC Financial Caribbean Limited officially communicated to the Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union (GTAWU) that it had entered into a definitive Agreement on December 11, 2019 for the sale of its banking operations in the Eastern Caribbean which includes RBTT Grenada Limited.
On the issue of the existing Pension Plan, the Labour Commissioner recognized that where workers elect to be transferred to a successor employer, the benefits accruing under the existing Pension Plan of the heritage employer can migrate to the successor employer.
On the issue of Profit Sharing the Labour Commissioner observed that Article 25 of the Memorandum of Agreement obligates the payment of a share of the profits to the employees.
The Bank was represented by Condell Simmons, Senior Corporate Counsel and Employment Law and Senior Manager Employee Relations, Isaac Solomon, Managing Director, Eastern Caribbean and Gaius Joseph, External Legal Counsel.
TAWU was represented by the President General Andre’ Lewis and Shop Stewards, Chanelle Stuart and Alisha Jones.
