Retirement schemes deadline extended

The General Workers' Union has announced that the closing date for applications to join the early retirement schemes for former shipyard workers has been extended by a week to November 21.

The GWU said the extension was granted by the government, on a request by the union, because a process had started by which the workers who felt they had been treated unfairly would receive an explanation about their assessment.

Based on the assessments, 900 shipyard workers have been transferred to Industrial and Projects Ltd under an agreement between the union and the government. A substantial number, however, have claimed discrimination.

The union on Tuesday filed a judicial protest urging the government to investigate the criteria used to select the workers removed from the shipyards' workforce.

The GWU yesterday also said that employees opting for the early retirement schemes would be paid for their pending leave and shipyard workers transferred to Industrial and Projects Ltd would carry their pending leave with them.