Tru Valu workers put out by managers

UNION MEMBERS at some branches of Tru Valu supermarkets were put out on Friday for wearing red union T-shirts or red face masks, which some managers said were not part of the company uniform.

Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union (BIGWU) assistant labour relations officer Chennel Cabrera, who represents weekly, daily and hourly-rated workers at Tru Valu supermarkets, a subsidiary of Eastern Commercial Lands, told Newsday workers at all five locations "exercised their right to protest silently" by wearing red union T-shirts and/or red face masks.

However, at the San Juan/El Socorro branch at around 11 am a manager refused to sign in two workers because they were said to be not in uniform.

Cabrera said the manager nevertheless signed in five bakery workers at the same branch because they wore white coats over their union T-shirts.

"You cannot treat workers differently," she told Newsday.

She said at one branch the manager decided to summon workers from their respective departments, telling them to change their union T-shirts to company attire within five minutes.

Cabrera said the workers refused to change, after which the store manager signed them out and said they would be removed from the premises.

She suggested the matter appeared to be one of manager's discretion, as some branches, such as the one in Diamond Vale, Diego Martin, where most workers were in union T-shirts, did not have issues.

Workers at the Long Circular Mall branch, Cabrera said, were told to change but were allowed to continue working when they refused. Workers who turned up for the afternoon shift at the El Socorro branch were not permitted to sign in and were left outside the branch.

"They are refusing to let them work (at some branches), even though they are there, willing and able to work," Cabrera said.

The company and the union have a matter in the Industrial Court, following a break in negotiations. Some of it reportedly stems from the company's shift in working hours without discussions with the union.

Cabrera also objected to a meeting of the CEO, HR manager and branch managers called on Friday.

"The company is doing what it (wishes to). It's not supposed to speak with the workers. They have to treat and meet with the union," she said, adding that they were exercising their rights under the ILO Convention, which speaks about workers' right to wear union T-shirts.

"They are not refusing to work. They simply went to work in their red T-shirt so they can identify with people who know that they are silently protesting the treatment they are getting at Eastern Commercial Lands."

Calls from Newsday to the respective branches throughout the day were unanswered.

Tru Valu CEO Sunil Maharajh said he could not speak when contacted, and later efforts were unsuccessful.