Employees of Seprod subsidiary Caribbean Products Limited took industrial strike action Monday in protest against the implementation of a flexible work arrangement.

The employees, assembled at the company’s entrance on Spanish Town Road in St Andrew, said they did not come to any agreement regarding a flexi-work arrangement and were surprised that one was implemented.

Khurt Fletcher, Island Supervisor at the National Workers Union, said the flexi-work arrangement, which came into effect on Monday, was implemented despite objections from employees and their union.

“The workers have taken action because of an implementation of the flexi-work system by the company which they said would have come into effect today. It is unfortunate because, since the enactment of the Act back in 2014, it is well-known that any arrangement that will see the work being flexi, must be agreed on between employers and employees and by extension their representative which is the union -the National Workers Union in this case,” said Fletcher. “What has happened is that over the last few months, we’ve been having the discussion with the company with a view to implement the flexi-work arrangement but to date, there has been no agreement.”

Fletcher went on to explain that a face-to-face meeting was held on Monday of last week in the hopes of reaching an agreement. However, the proposal presented by employers was rejected during a vote. He said workers left that meeting with the impression that discussions would continue and were surprised when they showed up to work on Monday morning to see a flexi-work schedule in full effect.

The protesters are currently awaiting the outcome of a meeting with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security on the matter.