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Rusal stand-off enters third week…Govt. contemplates compulsory arbitration
Today will mark three weeks since Rusal workers clashed with management over an arbitrary one percent pay hike that was rejected.
There has been no respite. None of the sides is willing to budge.
The Berbice River, in the Kwakwani area, Region Ten, has been blocked, stopping Rusal from exporting bauxite until a resolution.
As of yesterday, 90-plus workers remained fired for daring to ask for a meeting with management to discuss the one percent.
Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott
The workers who were fired were asked to leave the housing area at Aroaima. The kitchen was told to stop cooking for them.
Three weeks later, the residents of Region Ten, the government to some extent, and the workers themselves have stayed on at Aroaima, cooking for themselves.
Yesterday, General Secretary of the recognized bargaining body, the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU), Lincoln Lewis, who visited the area again to update workers, said that they have to be prepared for the long haul.
“I am to meet with workers (today) again as a place called the “Crack”. The workers who are refusing to move have placed themselves into three shifts and are watching to make sure no vessels of Rusal enter and leave the mine site.”
According to the union leader, who is not being recognized by the Russian-controlled Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI), the communities surrounding the bauxite area in Region Ten are giving food and other items to the workers.
Many of the workers have not been able to come out to meet with their families.
Many of the 500 workers don’t know when they will get their next pay.
Lewis said that the latest meeting with Government on Wednesday resulted in some positives.
Union leader, Lincoln Lewis, meeting with workers who camped out at the Berbice River side area, Region 10 yesterday.
“We are told that Government is concerned about the workers and that the matter may be taken to compulsory arbitration…meaning that it will be ordered by Government. The company is continuing to show disrespect.”
Government itself says that it is looking at the legal implications of Rusal closing the operations.
Guyana owns 10 percent of BCGI.
Rusal, one of the biggest bauxite companies in the world, came here since the mid-2000s, never declaring a profit.
It has, however, been steadily increasing production, shipping out the bauxite by the boatloads.
Government has insisted that after several talks with the company, it will not tolerate anything but the 90-plus workers being reinstated.
“The issues can’t be settled if you have reinstatement today. However reinstatement today is the beginning of the first step, and then from there as mature people, internationally as well as locally, we can now sit down, and say, let us work out a modus vivendi”
These were the sentiments of Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott yesterday.
A vessel unable to go further in the Berbice River because bauxite workers blocked the waterway.
He has responsibility for labour.
He disclosed that the government has sent proposals to both Rusal and the trade unions to outline their grievances in writing. He assured that before any resolution can be tabled, the affected workers must be reinstated.
Minister Scott also urged the dismissed workers to remain strong and rest assured that not only the unions, but their government is fighting for them and stands behind them firmly.
“…We have engaged with them, we have given them the assurance that government stands resolutely behind them.”
This has been the longest labour action involving Rusal.
In 2009, the company also showed its intolerance to protests by terminating the services of 57 workers.
That matter is still unresolved.
This particular matter has raised issues with how the Government of Guyana is engaging foreign companies which invest here.
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