Union officials ‘invade’ Minister’s office over Rusal’s condition

Sep 20, 2017 News

Despite ongoing complaints, little is being done by consecutive administrations about the alleged labour breaches by Rusal, a Russian-owned bauxite company that has operations in Region Ten.
The situation is so bad that angry union officials descended yesterday to the offices of Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott.
According to the Ministry, the team included past and present employees of the Guyana Bauxite Company Inc., Rusal’s local subsidiary, and the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GBGWU), represented by the President, Leslie Gonsalves, and the General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis, “invaded” the Brickdam office of the Minister.
According to the Ministry, the delegation is demanding that their grievances be addressed.
Scott agreed to meet with the delegation where a number of issues that affected the employees of Rusal and their communities were raised.
Among the issues was the wrongful dismissal of 62 employees between the years 2009 and 2010.
“…It was highlighted by the union that Rusal continue to refuse to have any engagement with the recognized trade union as it relates to this matter. As such, the Minister has taken the responsibility to have the matter addressed through the Labour Department of the Ministry of Social Protection.”
The team also complained about the deteriorating Occupational Health and Safety of the employees since the Minister’s last visit to the work sites in Region Ten.
“The workers explained that there has been a regression of exercising responsibilities that address Occupational Health and Safety on the part of Rusal.”
In one incident, last Thursday, the team said that workers were transported to and from work in defective vehicle when an accident occurred.
“Because of the defective state of the vehicle workers were unable to easily and quickly exit the vehicle. This resulted in workers being injured. The Minister assured the workers that he will have the Occupational Health and Safety Department investigate this issue and then bring the findings to the interested parties.”
The union officials also complained of Rusal’s refusal to negotiate better wages.
Workers are complaining of the low wages and salary that are paid to them.
“It was noted that Rusal has been selectively using the Collective Labour Agreement, to discipline employees and would neglect to use such to negotiate better wages and salaries.”

Minister Keith Scott meeting with Rusal’s union officials yesterday.

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman during a visit to Rusal, Region 10.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that Rusal has failed to exercise its corporate responsibility to ensure the proper maintenance and repair of the roads within the community.
“As such residents of the community are complaining about the conditions of the roads that they are forced to traverse daily. Tax waivers on overtime pay; employees are discontented that the matter of tax waivers on overtime pay has not been resolved. The workers have complained that the management of Rusal continuously advises that it is the Government that continues to hold up the waiver on overtime pay.”
The union claimed that the fault is Rusal’s as the company has not signed the document to activate the waiver.
“This document was shown to them and they demanded that the Government take action on Rusal on this vexed issue, for deliberately misleading them.”
Rusal has been clashing with consecutive Governments amidst a deteriorating working environment, the union has been claiming.
The Russian company has operations in the Aroaima and Kwakwani areas, Upper Berbice River, Region Ten.
A ministerial team in the wake of the 2015 general elections by the administration had found poor working conditions. Rusal was ordered to fix them.

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