AGM workers still to be unionised

Aug 14, 2019 News

The workers of Aurora Gold Mines Incorporated (AGM) have reported unease on the ground. Minister of Labour, Keith Scott, had promised the rank-and-file workers at Aurora, Buck Hall and Tapir units, since July 3, last, that an application for them to be unionised would be expedited by the Trade Union Recognition and Certification (TUR&CB). That has still not been done.

Minister of Labour, Keith Scott, is yet to deliver on his promise to AGM Inc. workers

After this promise was made, roughly 250 workers stopped a strike which had brought a halt to operations to Aurora. Now, workers at all three units are prepared to bring the company’s operations to a standstill if their demand for unionisation is not met.
The workers expecting to be unionised number in excess of 600.
Kaieteur News understands that since 2016, President of the National Mine Workers Union of Guyana (NMWUG), Sherwin Downer, has been making efforts to have the workers unionised, but there has been resistance by the company.
Several persons claiming to be workers have been contacting this publication throughout the past year with claims of workers’ rights abuses. They had refused to go on record for fear of persecution by the administration.
Downer said that the company has attempted to periodically placate its workers by granting one-off bonuses. Recently, after the last strike ended, the company decided to give workers a quarterly 7.6 percent bonus.
Downer told Kaieteur News that this time around, the union has already submitted 300 signed application forms, a copy of the union’s constitution and its receipt book for the union recognition process.
On the company’s end, signatures have been submitted as well. The Labour officials are expected to go through the signatures, and complete verification process this week.
Downer told Kaieteur News that the company has made several attempts to frustrate the process, including questioning his credentials.
When Kaieteur News contacted Director, Corporate Office and Compliance, Peter Benny, about this, he responded, “What credentials did I question? I do not concern myself with that.”
During previous correspondence with Kaieteur News on the same matter, Benny had urged the publication to look into Downer’s background.
“What is his industrial relations experience? Where was he trained? Where did he get his exposure?”
The company had also attempted to have some workers excluded from the process with the contention that they work in a “sensitive unit”.
It is unclear whether the TUR&CB will accede to that request.
Downer said that there is much to be done, as soon as the recognition process is complete. He noted that the workers are due for an increase. He added that the union will also be looking at advocating for an improvement to the workers’ risk allowances.

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