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GTUC, Russians trade barbs over BCGI ‘violations’

Mar 12, 2014 News

The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has for several years now been accusing the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc (BCGI), owned by Russian company RUSAL, of breaching local laws and violating workers’ rights. The Russians have fired back saying that it is up to the court to determine whether there were any violations of Guyana’s laws.
This was a position made public by Denis Kopyl, press attaché of the Russian Embassy in Guyana.
Kopyl in defending the company says that BCGI is a joint venture and was created in 2004 according to the laws of Guyana and abides by the laws of the country.
“Since the start of its operations it brought prominent tax revenue to the state budget of Guyana paying billions of dollars.”
But GTUC in response to Kopyl, in a public missive yesterday said that, “for a Russian diplomatic representative in Guyana to say to Guyanese that it is up to the court to determine whether there were any violations of Guyana’s law is rude and smacks of presumptuousness.”
The GTUC remarked that “when it comes to the issue of RUSAL/ BCGI vs. the GB&GWU, it is further evidence that this foreign nation and its organisations are only prepared to respect the law of a foreign land when the law is enforced in court or upheld by the people”.
“This fact is perhaps influenced by the history and culture of violations and disregard highlighted by international media…It may also be resultant from the encouraged violations and misleading advice received from various operatives operating inimical to the interest of Guyanese labour and guiding RUSAL/ BCGI labour relations in Guyana…It places Guyana’s own culture of labour and rights violations being fostered by this regime into focus.”
According to the GTUC, during the Sochi Olympics, international media highlighted Russia’s track record of human rights violations, and more so its disrespect for the sovereignty of neighbouring states of Georgia and Ukraine.
“That Denis Kopyl press attaché of the Russian Embassy in Guyana can be insensitive to the concerns of Guyanese labour organizations and the violation of workers’ rights in this part of the world is not surprising given the nature of our current regime in power.”
The GTUC charges that unlike Russia, Guyana lacks the force and cultural imperative to violate neighbouring countries. It states however that the regime in government does possess the domestic presumption and disregard for rights and the rule of law.
“It is in such a politically acrimonious and divisive environment, where some citizens and sectors are targeted for marginalisation and denial that RUSAL/ BCGI flourishes and can ignore the rights of Guyanese workers.”
The trade union body said that Guyanese are again reminded that RUSAL is no newcomer when it comes to industrial disputes and violation of workers’ rights among other infringements.
“It is with such background that the Russians now speak to the issue of a court ruling as evidence of violation… Such is the disrespect and violations that the regime in power has brought on Guyanese labour.”
GTUC said that the Russians must be reminded that a nation’s sovereignty is not only established by physical boundaries and acceptance by the international community, but more so reinforced by the laws that govern its actions and protect its people.
“This is what Russian managers of BCGI continue to display open contempt for.”

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