Bosai workers down tools

Mar 22, 2013 News

– Voice health concerns, want new union representation

By Enid Joaquin
“We ain’t want NAACIE, because dem ‘nah see’ wha go on, dey for de company and de Government not fuh workers, so right now we want a new Union fuh represent we!”
That was the consensus of workers of Bosai Guyana Inc. who yesterday downed tools to protest several issues affecting them.
Topping their list of grievances was the dust nuisance within the mining areas where they work.
According to the workers, they need a water truck to continually douse the areas where they work and traverse, because the clouds of dust that billows around them every day, makes breathing very difficult, and has even caused one of their colleagues to be hospitalised due to the dust that has accumulated in his lungs.
They also complained that the bus that transports them to and from the mining sites is a ‘dust collector,’ and therefore not fit to be on the road, as when it rains, they get wet, and when the weather is dry, the dust envelopes them.
“Right now we need a new bus, and an air-conditioned one; because them ‘big ones’ when dey going into the mines, dey driving in air-conditioned Prado, with all the windows roll up. We want de same kind of treatment. We are human beings too. And if they can’t get a water truck let them engage the fire tender to wet the place every day, because we can’t continue like this.”
“This dust ain’t healthy at all, because it blocking up people lungs, and if we get sick from it the salary we working for can’t cushion us,” one bulldozer operator pointed out.
“And we working hard…real hard, because we already make we target for this quarter, so management got to look out for we- we need we target money. But instead of that when we reach we target they change, they don’t stick to the initial plan, they change it to a higher target; when they do that they only frustrate the workers,” one worker lamented.
Workers also complained that there is no ambulance, in the event that there is an emergency in the mines. They are also calling on the Management of Bosai to stop victimising them, when they stand up for their rights.
“We need officials from the Ministry of Labour to come and visit and see the conditions we work under- and we ain’t want them to just come at the Plant and stand at the fence and look around, we want them to go into the mines, and see the sea of dust we have to contend with every day.”
Guyana Public Service Union Region 10 representative Maurice Butters who was on hand to speak with the workers said that his union is ‘very much behind’ the workers and is prepared to support them in their struggle.
Butters said that he empathised with the workers as quite a few of them had met him individually in the streets on numerous occasions and complained about the prevailing issues. He added that he hoped that the issues could be dealt with urgently, and to the workers’satisfaction. He expressed dissatisfaction with the way the foreigners ‘come into this country and behaving as though they own it’, in reference to both the Bosai situation and other issues relating to the RUSAL operations at Aroima.
Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon later yesterday morning met with the workers and after listening to their grievances, told them that most of the issues that they were complaining about (including money) he and a team of concerned stakeholders had recently engaged the company on.
“We are always concerned with what is going on with Bosai, and we found that they are not honouring a lot of their commitments, so we decided to meet with them to look at some issues; and we were given the assurance that they would be looking into a lot of those, beginning as early as tomorrow (today).”

Latest News

Bosai workers down tools

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Clarendon College too good for Dolphin as Annai Sec’ holds Speyside...

Glasgow excited for MLS journey with Chicago Fire

Matthews slams unbeaten 85 as Windies Women...

No room to breathe as five more teams to advance...

Sammy to be appointed as West Indies Senior...

Bangladesh hold nerve to defend 148 and take 1-0...

Features/Columnists

The stakes are high in Guyana’s democracy

Let the asylum seekers go: a first step for Venezuela to rebuild relations in the Americas

Cash grant-he last stop

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Bosai workers down tools

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]