Desnoes and Geddes Ltd v Bustamante Industrial Trade Union

• Jurisdiction: Jamaica
• Judge: LeWars, C.
• Judgment Date: 01 January 1978
• Court: Industrial Dispute Tribunal (Jamaica)
• Docket Number: Not yet available
• Date: 01 January 1978

Industrial Disputes Tribunal

LeWars, C.

Not yet available

Desnoes And Geddes Ltd.

and

Bustamante Industrial Trade Union

Labour law - Trade Union — Recognition.

REFERENCE:

1 By letter dated 11th May, 1978, the honourable Minister of Labour, in accordance with Section 5(3) of the Labour Relations and Industrial Disputes Act, 1975, referred to the tribunal for settlement, the dispute between Desnoes and Geddes Limited and the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union.

2 The terms of reference to the tribunal are as follows:

“To determine and settle the dispute between Desnoes and Geddes Limited on the one hand, and the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union on the other hand as respects the category of workers of whom the ballot should be taken or the persons who should be eligible to vote in the ballot to determine the union's claim for bargaining rights”.

3 The division of the tribunal selected in accordance with section 8(2) of the Act was:

Mr. Russell LeWars — Chairman

Mr. Noel Holness — Employers' Representative

Mr. Headley Allman — Workers' Representative

4 The company was represented by:

Mr. E. Ashenheim (legal)

Mr. Lewis

5 The union was represented by:

Mr. L. Beckford

Several Worker/Delegates

6 Submissions and Sittings

7 The parties submitted briefs and made oral submissions at two (2) sittings held on the 7th July, and 10th August, 1973.

8 Background to the Dispute

9 On the 23rd March, 1978, the union submitted a claim for bargaining rights for categories of supervisors and foremen in maintenance and production, brew house, cellars, laboratory technicians, utility technicians, timekeepers in production.

10 The union submitted form 1 certificate of membership and requested that a ballot be taken among the categories of workers listed.

11 The company contended that the appropriate bargaining unit should comprise the totality of such employees other than the executive and confidential staff.

12 The tribunal awards that the categories and persons of whom the ballot should be taken are indicated in Appendix I attached hereto.

13 Appendix I

14 Schedule one

Warehouse, Cellars & Grains	Maint. & Production	Timekeeper
Euel Blake	Jack Aaron	Errol Baker
Atlee Dixon	R. Allen	L. Brown
Milo Dixon	C. Anthony	H. Facey
Dalton Dunbar	G. Augustine	K. King
Aubrey Folkes	O. Baker	M. Reid
Herman Garnett	R. Blake
Dorrel Gibson	C. Brown	Utility Technicians
Erold Gilman	J. Bunsie
Bancroft Gordon	H. Campbell	Trevor Aarons
Michael Hurbs	C. Clennon	Wilfred Barnett
Orville Lewinson	L. Cole	Standford Brown
H. Mandison	L. Dacas	Uel Codling
Audley McLean	A. Dacres	Rudolph Davis
Winston Moseley	D. Dick	Esmond Dowding
Eldeston Ramsay	J. Doswell	Audley Edwards
Laster Shaw	L. Evans	Gregory Elphic
Fitz Walker	W. Gayle	Maxwell Gayle
Keith Williams	Barrington Gordon	Victor Gordon
	Al Grandison	George Johnson
	D. Greens	Leon McNeil
Laboratory Tech.	David Greens	Mark Myrie
	K. Heron	Franklyn Ricketts
L. Clarks	L. Henry	Leslie Smellie
Y. Daley	L. Hudson	Joseph Stephens
J. Falconer	V. Lawrence	Jack Walker
T. Feanny	E. Lemard
L. Fray	J. Lewis
L. Gordon	R. Lyew
A. Grant	D. McKoy
V. Hawthorns	J. Morgan
N. Livermore	H. Moulton
K. McCullock	E. Murray
R. Palomino	E. Pinnock
E. Rose	F. Rochester
G. Simpson	K. Samuels
	Val Solomon
	W. Treasure
	C. Walcott
	D. Marriott

15 Schedule II

Office Supervisory	Plant Admin.	Purchasing Supvry.
S. Carless	F. Raymour	J. Chang
Z. Goulbourne
A. Williams
Sales(Advt., vending, promotions) Supervisory
S. Baghaloo	D. Bell	A. Chambers
W. Coley	C. Creary	C. Curtis
W. Dandy	R. Duncan	R. Dunkley
R. Fenderson	R. Forbes	C. Gervis
E. Golding	E. Henry	K. Jackson
L. Langrin	P. Meikle	D. Murdock
T.Nation	McKeith Nuefville	P. Silvera
G. Terrelonge	R. Thompson	N. Vickers
S. Waite	W. Weathers	B. West
E. Whitely	I. Wilson	D. Coke
Security Supervisory	Transport Supervisory	Utility
G. Bailey	E. Clarks	C...