Labour Minister Pearnel Charles told The Gleaner that the matter was brought before the IDT on Sunday after unions representing workers at the cement company failed to show up for meetings at the ministry.

Charles said union representatives had failed to honour his requests to attend a number of the meetings at his offices on North Street on the weekend.

"The Industrial Dispute Tribunal met on Sunday and made an order to the management and workers that the plant must be reopened at 6 a.m. Monday (today) and that all workers assigned to that shift are required to go to work," he said.

In the meantime, Charles said parties from the Ministry of Finance and members of the Jamaica Medical Doctors' Association (JMDA) are expected to attend a meeting at the ministry on Tuesday to hammer out an agreement. Charles said if the parties fail to arrive at a settlement, the labour ministry would be putting forward its recommendations.

"(This is to ensure) that there will be no further withdrawal of work or disruption of the medical service," he said.

The labour ministry last month secured a 28-day injunction from the Supreme Court to prevent industrial action by the JMDA after junior doctors threatened not to work overtime. The decision was made after the doctors rejected the Government's latest wage offer for the 2008-2010 period.

athaliah.reynolds@gleanerjm.com