De La Rue reconciliation meeting next week

The Director of Industrial & Employment Relations has set reconciliation meeting for June 27 after talks between De La Rue and the General Workers’ Union broke down earlier this week.

The specialist printing company has been negotiating a new collective agreement with the union and on Tuesday, the GWU said talks had broken down, claiming that management representatives had walked out of a meeting, a claim which De La Rue disputes.

“Following several meetings in May and early June the GWU informed the company that they were in formal disagreement and registered an industrial dispute. This was a surprise to De La Rue as talks had been responsive and only a few days earlier it was under the impression that good progress had been made that had the potential to lead to an agreement. “The company can confirm that agreement had not been reached and that the GWU had tabled a proposal it could not agree to.

“At no stage did the company withdraw from the negotiations or walk out of any meetings,” De La Rue said in a statement.

It also said that it was aware of alleged isolated behaviour that could be interpreted as bullying and harassment of employees both in the workplace and also outside, including via electronic media.

“This is in breach of the company’s Code of Business Principles,” it said.

De La Rue employs 600 people but in February had said it was to be restructured as part of the company’s efforts to make its global operations more viable.