Barbados Energy and Sugar Company Inc. (BESCO) said it considered the withdrawal of labour by 38 employees a wildcat strike.
It warned that workers who engage in such industrial action are not paid during the strike period.
BESCO insisted that the majority of its workers are represented by the Barbados Workers Union (BWU), which is the recognised bargaining agent, and said it is not standard practice in the private sector to engage multiple bargaining agents simultaneously in negotiations.
On the issue of pay, the company said the sugar industry has always had a unique model of operation that differs in-crop and out-of-crop, and employee compensation is adjusted to ensure fairness between the two seasons.
BESCO added that the current compensation model has been the standard in the industry for decades and negotiated with the BWU, and any changes to the model should be discussed with the recognised union.
The company also maintains that workers are compensated appropriately for any overtime work.
BESCO urged the workers to resume their duties, saying that when disputes arise, the accepted approach is for employees to return to work while discussions take place between the employer and the recognised bargaining agent.
The company said it remains committed to constructive engagement and stands ready to listen to concerns and work towards a fair and orderly resolution within the established industrial relations framework.
