RUSAL to create Welfare Committee for workers

Nov 19, 2016 News

…Unions call move a control mechanism

The Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI) managed by the Russian Aluminium Company (RUSAL) announced that it intends to establish a “Workers’ Social Welfare Committee” from among the non-management workforce.
According to the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) who received a memo of the company’s announcement, the ‘Welfare Committee’ is expected to address workers socio-economic issues and serve as the avenue through which workers can relay information to the management of BCGI.
The Union believes that this move comes as a result of the company coming to terms with the reality that they must think of a different method of exercising dictatorial control.
According to the GB&GWU, “The missive from the Russian management of BCGI goes as far as determining the exact numbers that will comprise the Welfare Committee and instructs that ‘its terms of reference and mode of operations will be made known to all employees’, evidently without any prior consultation on the aforementioned terms of reference.”
The decision by the company to establish this union does not come as a surprise to the Union since it highlighted in an issued statement yesterday that this sort of move is common to enterprises which are hostile to worker welfare and interests.
“Such committees, apart from being remote control mechanisms designed to keep workers in line are also reflective of a flagrant disregard for trade unions and for the constitutionally guaranteed right of workers to freedom of association.”
Based on the union’s examination of the situation, the Committee is intended to completely isolate the workers from their chosen trade union, which is the GB&GWU.
According to the Union, it expects the workers of BCGI will unanimously reject this development, describing it as an insidious control mechanism.
This move by BCGI/RUSAL comes a day after it would have refused to attend a meeting organised by the Ministry of Social Protection on Wednesday to discuss outstanding labour related matters with the Union.
Addressing the absence, Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott, said that his ministry viewed RUSAL’s absence with concern as it was an act which lacked respect.
He said, “We wish to let it be known of our extreme anger at the behaviour of RUSAL towards us. We will not accept that.”
Representative of the GB&GWU, Lincoln Lewis, said that he was not surprised at RUSAL’s refusal to show at the meeting.
He said the issue has reached a point where the sovereignty of the state is being challenged. “When the ministers can write the company and invite them to a meeting with the recognised union and they decide that they are not going to come, they have constantly decided that they are not going to talk to the ministry in the presence of the union.”

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