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Bosai workers strike over pay increase
Total dissatisfaction with management’s proposal to pay a 3.5 percent increase across the board in wages and salaries to employees of the Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated (BMGGI) yesterday led to a protest outside the company’s bauxite plant in Linden.
One employee claimed, “It is insufficient because they started at 25 percent. That 3.5 percent increase cannot satisfy workers for the whole year that we work. That is why we are out here. We are prepared to stay here until something tangible come up.”
According to the employees every year they receive an increase, based on the company’s budget, which they claimed was agreed to by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).
They said that subsequent to the reading of the budget in March, increases in wages and salaries were expected in April. However no monies were paid in April, and according to the workers, management did not inform them why the increases were not paid.
“Now this company has recorded 26 percent growth in bauxite for last year and I don’t know what kind of budget Bosai coming up with…We want the government to look into this issue seriously, and not only the government but internationally. We want Bosai management to take this thing seriously, because it won’t be nice and it won’t end nice,” an angry employee pointed out.
Negotiations for 3.5 percent increase, took place about a month ago, and as such some “positive feedback” was expected by Wednesday.
Negotiations for the increase were expected to commence since April 1, but because of some problem that the management reportedly had, the negotiation was postponed until September.
The workers said that they became very perturbed after they learnt that the company’s manager was expected to go on vacation, and feared that this was a move to force them into accepting the proposed 3.5 percent increase.
The protest featured about 200 employees from the different departments including production, electrical, mills and maintenance. A few were adamant that they will only accept an increase of 20 percent and upwards.
The employees were later addressed by GPSU Branch Chairman and Senior Vice Chairman of National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) Linnell Warden. Warden had engaged the management of BMGGI in talks on the issue while the employees were protesting.
He assured the workers, “The management has agreed to continue the negotiations. Systems would be put in place for negotiations to continue this week…and for two days a week as you requested.”
However instead of appeasing the workers his words only seemed to infuriate them more.
“Is today or nothing! We want negotiations today. Let them give we the increase or else we ain’t working. If they say till next week, that is when we will go back to work.
Senior Personnel Officer Trudel Marks, later told them that negotiations over the increase will continue, on condition that the employees resume duty.
“The management has decided to re-commence negotiations and we are going to meet and continue next week, until we come to an agreement, there is no agreement if protest is ongoing. We just can’t come here and say that we agree to something, negotiation is an ongoing process and we are doing just that. We ask for your understanding, “she pleaded.
She further told employees that when General Manager George Zhao goes on vacation, Mr. Jason Wang will act in his position.
Marks promised that the agreement that management will reach will be in favour of both parties.
Following Mark’s address, workers agreed to resume work today and asked that there be no victimization.
One of the issues highlighted included the absence of a ‘proper’ ambulance.
“We will continue negotiations on Wednesday so we are hoping to be through with it as early as possible, at least by the end of this month. The 3.5 percent increase is not the final position. At present, the Union is at 9.5 percent and the management has moved up from 0 to 3.5percent,”he noted.
Bosai employees last year received a seven percent, across the board increase in wages and salaries.
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