Latest update November 23rd, 2024 1:00 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Labour Ministry investigates conditions at Rusal Berbice

May 28, 2009 News

Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir, says that his Ministry has launched an investigation into the allegations by workers of Rusal Bauxite Company, at the Aroaima Berbice location.

On Saturday more than 200 workers downed tools claiming that their occupational health and safety concerns were being violated by the company.

According to Minister Nadir, the Chief Investigating Officer was at the location over the weekend.

The workers have since decided to go back to work but the Minister said that there are some issues to be sorted out.

Minister Nadir appealed to all workers and managers, that in this current situation being experienced worldwide that reasonableness be the order of the day.

According to reports, the issue at Rusal stems from the expressed concerns by truck drivers of the company about their conditions of work.

Reports reaching this newspaper stated that the drivers had complained about the engine heat emanating from the truck. This resulted in at least two of them falling sick, one of them hospitalised with a stroke.

The company then took a decision to issue letters to the remaining truck drivers, advising them that they will only be paid for four hours’ work until the trucks are fixed.

But according to the workers, this is a breach of the labour agreement signed by the company and the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union (GBGWU) since the workers are not responsible for the repairs of the trucks and they should not be made to suffer as a result.

The workers cited the 1997 Industrial Health and Safety Act which gives an employee certain rights, should they refuse to work if their health and life are at risk.

“If a worker reasonably believes that any equipment, machine, device or article will be of serious or possible danger to life,a worker may refuse to work in these situations,” Leslie Gonsalves, Acting General Secretary of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union said.

The workers are convinced that it is the company’s right to ensure the safety of workers, and workers should not be made to lose pay if systems are not in place to ensure this.

This led to the entire staff at the company’s Aroaima operations downing tools in solidarity with the truck drivers.

“We are protesting the procedure. What is to be followed is that employees should remain on the job and paid as normal while the situation is rectified. They should not be made to suffer for what is not their fault,” Calvin Sinclair, Branch Chairman of the GBBWU told this newspaper on Saturday.

After efforts to meet with management on Saturday proved futile, the employees upped their industrial action yesterday with a protest.

However, matters took a turn for the worse when the police in the area detained the Branch Chairman of the union.

He was subsequently released after about 30 minutes in custody.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | November, 20th, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Hockey Festival returns for 19th edition

Diamond Mineral Water Indoor Hockey Festival returns for 19th edition

Nov 23, 2024

  Kaieteur Sports- The highly anticipated Diamond Mineral Water International Indoor Hockey Festival is set to ignite the National Gymnasium from November 28th to December 1st. This year’s...
Read More
Louis 97, Athanaze 90 give West Indies slight edge after day one

Louis 97, Athanaze 90 give West Indies slight...

Nov 23, 2024

Vladimir Woodroofe backs out of World Championships over unfair selection

Vladimir Woodroofe backs out of World...

Nov 23, 2024

Exciting Double-header bowls off today with finals looming

Exciting Double-header bowls off today with...

Nov 23, 2024

YMCA and Hard Knocks battle for Futsal supremacy in ExxonMobil Championship Final

YMCA and Hard Knocks battle for Futsal supremacy...

Nov 23, 2024

Sukhwa delighted to score most runs at GCB National T20 League

Sukhwa delighted to score most runs at GCB...

Nov 23, 2024

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]