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Demerara Timbers workers down tools for more pay
Workers of Demerara Timbers Limited yesterday downed tools and took to the streets demanding a twelve percent increase in wages and salaries.
Workers protesting yesterday at Mabura Hill.
According to sources, the placard-bearing workers proceeded to the mill site chanting, “no money, no wuk”, and, “they work we like donkey and treat we like junkie!” under the watchful eyes of a few police ranks.
The disgruntled workers also called on the Minister within the Ministry of Labour Simona Broomes to “come sweep the area”.
“Dey want give we $5000, as a complement for work done for the year, but that is an insult, and we aint accepting it – these people not treating we right” an aggrieved worker declared.
Apart from the pay increase, workers are also demanding 24-hour electricity, and a new bus to transport them to and from the work site, as stipulated in an agreement with their union.
This newspaper understands that quite recently the bus that is used to transport workers, broke down in the trail leaving some workers stranded for hours. They only arrived at Mabura in the wee hours of Monday, after leaving Linden on Sunday evening.
Yesterday, the workers’ union – the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU)-said that about 70 workers, resorted to a one-day strike, completely crippling the company’s operations at Mabura Hill.
According to GAWU, since June 22nd, it has been seeking to engage the company to discuss a
12 percent increase on wages salaries, meals and station allowances; night premium for security personnel; suitable guard huts for watchmen; personal protective gears, among other things.
Despite three meetings – the last one held on November 17 – the company did not approve any wage hike, but offered a Christmas bonus of $5,000 to each worker in lieu of a wage increase for 2015, GAWU said.
“The company said it could not offer an increase in light of the company’s revenue position. There was a spirited picketing exercise at Mabura Hill…by the workers,”GAWU said.
GAWU also disclosed yesterday that following the deadlock in talks, on November 18th, it requested the conciliatory services of the Ministry of Social Protection.
A meeting between the union and the company is slated for today at the ministry’s Boardroom at Brickdam, Georgetown.
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