Unite presses for ‘clarity’ over forced retirement of member

Unite the Union has called on the Government of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Port Authority to explain the forced retirement of one of its members, saying delays in providing justification are causing disappointment and concern among GPA Launch Crew workers.

In a statement, the union said it had repeatedly sought clarity from the Government of Gibraltar and the GPA, but that the only response so far had been a press release issued on February 25 following Unite’s declaration of an industrial dispute.

According to Unite, that statement from the Government of Gibraltar said the case was “categorically not a redundancy” but did not address whether the decision affected the GPA’s collective agreement.

Unite said it disputed this and had asked for the justification for the forced retirement, as well as its implications, to be made clear.

The union added that the ongoing uncertainty was having a negative impact on the member concerned, who it said wished to continue in service.

Unite said it had set out its position in a letter dated February 18, in which it described the case as a redundancy aligned to the GPA and the Government of Gibraltar’s aim of reducing headcount, referring to a consultation letter it said had been presented to the union.

It said no formal response had yet been received and described this as unacceptable.

Unite regional officer Donovan Correia said: “It is shameful that we are over two weeks since formally writing to HMGOG and there has been no response or clarity on the situation. Employees deserve clear justifications for any decisions affecting them and should not be waiting this long when the stakes are so high.”

“The clarification is ever more important when the members consider the implications to their collective agreement. Should the decision stand and the justification be redundancy, HMGOG and the GPA would have unilaterally breached the GPA’s collective agreement. Something Unite shall never allow to any Public Sector Collective Agreement.”