Union calls for impromptu visit to AGM by authorities

Jul 06, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – Following recent reports that Guyanese workers employed at Aurora Gold Mines (AGM) are being treated different from the Chinese Nationals, the National Mine Workers Union of Guyana (NMWUG), is now calling for an impromptu visit to the operation by the authorities.

Some of the employees of AGM during the recommissioning of a processing plant in November last year.

AGM, which is located in Region Seven, is currently being operated by a Chinese company called Zijin Mining Group. Kaieteur News had reported Friday last that the workers had complained about being victimised by their Chinese bosses, denied free time, overworked, punished without proper investigation and unfair dismissals. They had also alleged that they are being fed differently from the Chinese employees.
President of NMWUG, Sherwin Downer, had stated that almost every day he would receive these and other complaints from the local employees. Yesterday he said that, “enough evidence has been provided by the employees that should warrant an immediate site visit by labour officials.”
According to Downer, an “impromptu visit to the mine would be preferable.” Some of the workers, he said, are in support of an impromptu visit. They related that the management would normally be notified beforehand about visits by government officials. As such, the workers noted, their bosses would prepare for the visits and “cover up their tracks” before the authorities arrive.
Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, and a delegation from his ministry had visited the mine on Tuesday December 1, 2020, to get a firsthand understanding of the working conditions. He had told reporters then that he had gotten to engage the local workers uninterrupted by the management of the operations.
Hamilton had said that he had stories of local workers being treated unfairly and during the visit he had asked the local employees to highlight concerns but no one had raised that issue or came forward to say anything.
He had highlighted too that he did not see “much wrong” at AGM and had validated everything. The workers in response had noted that some employees are afraid to speak out because of victimisation, or even being fired.
However, they are of the view that if the minister or any one of his officials conduct an immediate impromptu visit, then they would get a better understanding of what really goes on at AGM. Apart from calling for the impromptu visit, Downer is urging the Ministry of Labour to launch a thorough investigation into the workers’ allegations of being treated differently from the Chinese.

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