ADM BARBADOS MILLS and the Barbados Workers' Union (BWU) are to meet today with the Labour Department on the matter of the ten employees who remain off the job.

That is the word from Jessie McKinney of the corporate communications department of Archer Daniels Midland Company, who maintained the mill would abide by all local laws and regulations, including fair employment regulations, in the areas where their operations were conducted.

The ten packers were asked to sign for severance packages without the knowledge of the BWU, and have been kept off the mill's premises since October 12. The employees had been advised to remain on the job until the matter was clarified.

"In light of the inaccurate information being circulated, ADM wishes to make clear that no current employees are locked out of the ADM Barbados Mills location," McKinney said in a statement from the company headquarters.

She said for the past six months, ADM had had an ongoing dialogue with the BWU regarding the need for cost savings at ADM Barbados Mills, in order to remain competitive in the global market.

"In September, ADM informed BWU assistant general secretary Clifford Mayers and the packaging employees from Barbados Mills that the company would be eliminating ten packaging positions. On Friday, October 12, ADM eliminated these ten packaging positions and began outsourcing that work.

"That same day, ADM representatives met with the ten impacted employees to explain why their jobs were being eliminated and offered statutory severance payments. The affected employees chose not to take the severance," McKinney's statement said.

Mill manager Jim McCormick still refused to speak to the Press and referred all queries to the company's corporate communications department. (AK)