Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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Demerara Timbers Ltd. awaits green light to resume operations
– must pass muster with Gov’t
Demerara Timbers Limited (DTL) is awaiting Government’s green light to resume its operations and reinstate 45 employees it had laid off. This will be facilitated on the premise that it claims to have corrected a safety
Ministers Simona Broomes and Raphael Trotman
defect to its sawmill.
This news was communicated to officials of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) when they met with DTL personnel on Monday last. The company was forced to make the changes after an impromptu visit by Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman and his Junior Minister, Simona Broomes.
The team visited DTL’s Mabura Hill, Region Ten location recently. The Ministers had made the visit to the location after reading a report in a local daily newspaper that the jobs of 45 workers were in limbo.
The move by the company to have the 45 workers off the job followed an earlier, December 10, 2015 inspection of its location by a team led by Minister Broomes where it was found that the company was in breach of Chapter 99 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Chief among the issues raised by Minister Broomes, and which was communicated to DTL in writing, was the fact that a sawmill operator was operating a lever without adequate safety provisions.
While one of the company officials, Kwangsiong Chuo, had assured the Minister that the workers were being paid part of their salaries and were not in danger of losing their jobs, senior officials of the company were invited to a meeting with GFC for a full assessment of its operation in Guyana.
Upon instruction the company ceased its operations to rectify the breaches and all employees were paid 50% of their salaries between December 19, 2015 and January 3, last. From January 8, 2016, the 45 affected workers received 30% of their salaries in keeping with the agreement with their union, Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU).
During the meeting with GFC the company’s officials advised that the major safety issue was rectified with a “guard” housing put in place to guarantee the safety of the worker. The company is now awaiting the go ahead from the Ministry of Social Protection to re-commence work.
Additionally, GFC has requested that the company prepare a comprehensive business plan since it was found that it was operating at less than 40% of total harvesting capacity. The business plan will determine whether the company’s forestry lease will be renewed by the Commission.
Meanwhile, the changes to the sawmill were in keeping with Occupational Health & Safety regulations. The company indicated to the GFC that once the green light is given operations will resume and the 45 affected employees who currently receive part payment will be reinstalled.
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