Workers employed to Kingston Wharves were ordered back to work yesterday afternoon after the labour ministry referred a redundancy dispute between the employees and management to the Industrial Disputes Tribunal.

Labour Minister Pearnel Charles says the decision came after talks at the ministry failed to resolve the dispute between the company and the National Workers' Union (NWU), which represents the workers.

The workers have been protesting since Thursday against the company's decision to make the positions of some of their colleagues redundant.

Charles said if the workers disobeyed the back-to-work order, they would face the consequences.

He also said workers should be mindful that the ports fall under the island's list of essential services and that they are extremely critical to the country's economy.

Vincent Morrison, president of the NWU, said he expected that the workers would comply with the minister's request.

"We should be meeting with the workers over the weekend into Monday. By then I expect resumption to be effective," he told The Gleaner.