Labour Dept. ‘invites’ Rusal, union to conciliation meeting…Govt: Status quo cannot continue; Granger, ministers to be briefed

Mar 02, 2019 News

---

 

The Department of Labour has asked the workers’ union and the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc., which is controlled by Russians for the conciliation meeting on Monday.
The meeting comes as Government confirmed yesterday that the Ministry of Natural Resources have ordered the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to conduct a technical and legal assessment of all of the bauxite operations in the Upper Berbice, Region Ten area.
The report from the assessment will be discussed on Tuesday during a meeting between President David Granger and his ministers.
Speaking to reporters during a tour of Bosai’s operations in Linden yesterday, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, disclosed that currently being studied are the legal and other consequences, including Rusal/BCGI closing its operations or government closing it.
According to the minister, what is clear is that the current “status quo” stalemate just cannot continue.

In total, Rusal/BCGI has been issued three licences and these are being examined, Trotman said.
Bauxite-rich Region Ten is facing major labour challenges at the moment after the company, 90 percent of which is owned by Rusal, fired more than 90 workers for objecting to a one percent increase in pay.
Some 61 workers who asked to meet management to query the increase had their services terminated and then more than 30 received their termination letters, a few days later.
The company had since ordered the fired workers off its Aroaima premises, where the workers are housed. However, the workers are refusing to, with government forced to send in food supplies after Rusal told its kitchen to stop cooking for them.
Several meetings between Government and workers and the unions and representatives of the BCGI have failed to end the stalemate.
Rusal is one of the biggest aluminium companies in the world.
However, its track record in Guyana when it comes to labour has been woeful.
In 2009, it also fired 57 staffers, including supervisors, for protesting for better pay and conditions.
That matter is unresolved.
According to Trotman, yesterday, while Government is happy that the performance of Bosai, a Chinese company that is operating bauxite facilities in Linden, he is disappointed, distressed and disturbed by matters taking place with Rusal, right in the region.
With bad experiences in the 70s and 80s, it is the thinking of Government of increasing its stakes in the natural resources operations.
“…And as we review Rusal’s operation whether they want to continue or we want them to continue, this has given us rise to review the entire matter if government have a greater say or stake in mining in Guyana.”
He said that among other issues for Government are the workers.

According to Trotman, it is a fact that Government stuck with Rusal when the US slapped sanctions on that company last year.
Rusal has not declared a profit since coming here a decade and a half ago.
Rusal is reportedly still running the operations, but its attempts to ship the mined bauxite has been halted as workers have blocked the Berbice River, at the Kwakwani waterfront area.
Government has told Rusal that its actions will not be condoned.
The trade unions of Guyana in an unprecedented move have banded together to fight what they say is a worrying threat.
Yesterday, it was announced that the Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle, has invited the company along with the Union (Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union (GB&GWU) to a meeting scheduled for 9:00 am on Monday, March 4, 2019 at his office.
“The Chief Labour Officer is optimistic that at Monday’s meeting he would be able to convince the management of the Russian company that in the interest of all stakeholders normalcy be returned without further delay.”
Yesterday, representatives of the unions were in Kwakwani to assess the situation.
On Thursday, they picketed the Rusal office in Queenstown.
Joining the unions in lending support yesterday was the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).
The union said that the labour laws are clear…that where the employer fails to meet with the employee’s representative, this constitutes an offence, and that for every additional day that they fail to meet, a fine is imposed.
“RUSAL, in arbitrarily imposing a one percent increase, changed the conditions of service of the employees and this is a blatant disrespect to the employees’, the employees’ representative, and total disregard for the laws of Guyana.”
The GPSU said it strongly condemns this action by Rusal for disrespecting and violating the workers’ rights and breaching the laws of Guyana.
“The GPSU calls on the Ministry of Social Protection to enforce the Laws immediately by taking the necessary legal action against the employer.”

 

---

---