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BOSAI workers go on strike
– demand that dismissed, suspended workers be reinstated
Some of the protesting workers yesterday
More than 200 workers of the BOSAI Minerals Group Guyana, also known as the Linden Bauxite Company, yesterday downed tools and engaged in strike action in retaliation to letters of suspension, dismissals and warnings that the company’s management had issued to more than 100 workers.
This newspaper understands that the strike action was, nevertheless, cut short by attempts to secure police permission for the workers to march and to protest.
Yesterday, Kenneth Joseph, General Secretary of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), which represents the workers, disclosed that, with or without police permission, the workers will march and protest in full strength today.
He explained that the intent of the industrial action is to have the company withdraw the disciplinary letters it had issued to the workers, because they had retaliated against management’s failure to provide them with meals or the cost of meals for working overtime.
According to Joseph, the action was taken against the company because it had failed to respond to an ultimatum to withdraw the letters by last week Wednesday. He added that it was not until last Saturday that the company opted to make telephone contact with the Linden NAACIE branch, in an attempt to engage a negotiation process.
“We gave them ample time to respond….They had an opportunity to correct their actions, and they failed to do so and they even disregarded the ultimatum.”
The General Secretary revealed that the company seems bent on working its more than 200 staffers for 12 hours a day without feeding them, a situation that prompted the involvement of the union.
Reports are that workers are at present being given two small packets of biscuits with coffee after eight hours of work. The workers and the union consider this to be grossly inadequate.
According to the union, once workers labour beyond eight hours, they should be given a $700 meal allowance; and if the company cannot afford to do so, then workers should not be called upon to work beyond eight hours.
“They cannot just work these people for long hours and not feed them…This does not happen anywhere in the world,” Joseph articulated.
He related that, last Tuesday, the workers retaliated by working only eight hours, a move which caused the management to issue the letters to workers.
According to Joseph, the company issued letters of dismissal to two of the workers, claiming that they had committed serious infringements earlier this year. Over 100 got letters of suspension for minor infringements, and those who never committed any infringements were issued warning letters.
A release issued by the union yesterday stated that the workers have proceeded on strike following the expiration of an ultimatum issued since September 26 last.
It went on to explain that the strike by the Linden bauxite workers was called to force the management of the company “to withdraw, unconditionally, the letters of warning, letters of suspension and letters of dismissal issued to workers who refused to work overtime after continued refusal of the company to give a meal or pay the cost of a meal for the two hours or four hours they work overtime.”
The release added that the matter has been discussed by the union and the company from the introduction of the present shift system, but noted that the discussion had not been favourably concluded.
According to the release, the workers on strike are demanding that the letters to their colleagues be withdrawn and those who were dismissed or suspended be replaced on the job with full pay.
The workers are also demanding that a $700 meal allowance be paid to them after eight hours of work.
Meanwhile, Industrial and Personnel Relations Superintendent Peter Benny reported that it was only yesterday that management had been informed of the industrial action to be taken by workers, in protest of disciplinary action that was taken against their colleagues, who he claimed had walked off the job recently.
Benny said that management is always willing to discuss issues affecting workers, and had met with union representatives only last Saturday, but because the union did not agree with the company’s proposals, the issue was not resolved.
He reported that he was called this morning and informed of the strike action. Benny further divulged that management will be meeting with the union representatives and officials from the Ministry of Labour today or tomorrow for discussions to have the grievances resolved.
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