Unions, Govt. agree locals must be given first option on state projects

Mar 09, 2013 News

Government has agreed to put systems in place to ensure locals are given first preference to jobs in state-owned projects.
Following a meeting Thursday between a team led by Prime Minister Sam Hinds and the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) at the Critchlow Labour College, a joint statement was issued yesterday.
The issue of locals being given first preference came to the fore a few weeks ago after revelations that the construction of the US$51M Marriott-branded hotel involved mostly Chinese workers.

Government and Union officials during the meeting on Thursday

Government later explained that the contractor, Shanghai Construction Group, had the discretion under its contract to hire its own workforce. They also said that a skills shortage in Guyana and language barrier posed challenges, forcing the decision to hire Chinese workers.
The issue had sparked protests by unions and saw Government claiming that the Chinese, who have been financing a number of large government projects, were being targeted.
According to the joint statement yesterday by Government and GTUC, it was agreed at the meeting that rules and systems be put in place that “citizens at all times be given an opportunity to be employed in appropriate jobs before consideration be given to foreigners”.
The administration, in the statement, reiterated its position that in the absence of sufficient appropriate skills, the issue must be looked at within the context of Guyana’s national policy of training and education to meet the expected quality that exists at the international level.
Also at the meeting Thursday were GTUC’s General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis; President Norris Witter and members of the affiliates of the GTUC, and accountant/columnist Christopher Ram, who is an advisor to the GTUC.
During a PowerPoint presentation, head of the Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI), the state-owned company overlooking the construction of the hotel, Winston Brassington, “detailed accounts of efforts to achieve transparency, information sharing, the financial structure, the involvement and arrangements by the various entities involved in this project; the likely outcomes as it relates to the securing of about 350 permanent jobs as a result of the Hotel and its entertainment center inclusive of its nightclub and its casino,” the joint statement said.
Also there were representatives of the private sector.
“GTUC has stated that while the request for the meeting was made by the Prime Minister and Leader of the Government Business in the House, there are other issues of concerns that are grounded in rights and the rule of law and are equally important to be raised during subsequent discussions amongst which, outstanding industrial relations issues at BCGI/RUSAL and the restoration of the subvention to the Critchlow Labour College.”
GTUC acknowledged that while it has concerns regarding the manner in which the decisions related to the construction of the Marriott Hotel were arrived at, it also recognises that the project cannot be stopped at this juncture.
“As such, it would like to see arrangements be put in place to avoid a recurrence of the issues that gave rise to the denial of the rights of the citizens of Guyana to work, and be equipped the requisite skills to compete.”
A proposal was also made to develop capacity in construction management and expanding the available pool of skilled and semi-skilled workers in Guyana.