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GAWU takes concerns of sidelined Guyanese oil workers to Home Affairs Minister
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), which recently established its Oil and Gas branch, has received steady complaints from workers in the sector, which has triggered a meeting with the Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn.
Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn meets with GAWU President, Seepaul Narine and other Executive Members of the Union
In a statement to the press yesterday, GAWU explained that the meeting with the Minister took place on Friday, during which it highlighted that workers in the oil and gas sector continue to be sidelined for jobs, though capable, while foreigners are supposedly given preference.
Even more surprisingly, the Union complained that workers are even being forced to demonstrate to their foreign superiors how they should undertake their tasks.
“We indicated to the Minister that workers have informed our Union that in many instances there were locals who though capable of undertaking certain jobs were unable to grasp such opportunities as foreigners were apparently given preference, GAWU noted. The Minister was informed too that some GAWU workers “had informed our Union that they were required to demonstrate to their foreign superiors how they should undertake their tasks. In the sector, we communicated, such occurrences were fostering some level of acrimony between locals and foreigners,” the Union explained in its missive.
The organisation also told Minister Benn that it has learnt a few firms were recruiting foreigners to undertake unskilled and semi-skilled jobs, which can be performed competently by locals.
GAWU said too that the oil sector employees reported that some foreigners appear to be working without the relevant documents.
In this regard, the Minister of Home Affairs told the Union that his Ministry has received such reports in the past. According to the GAWU statement, “He shared that his Ministry has also heard of similar issues and where complaints are lodged they are able to pursue investigations to address such matters.”
Meanwhile, Benn pointed to the need to expand the Immigration infrastructure to address the volume of requests for work permits and other matters.
“This he said was being done though more is required. He indicated too that there was a need to up-skill our labour force given the demands of the economy. The Minister shared that given the rapid expansion of the country in the coming years there may be a need to develop a programme of skilled immigration as Guyanese would be fully employed,” the statement added.
The workers union was keen to note that it will continue to reach out to workers, and where necessary, inform the Ministry and Minister of such reports. “GAWU will also seek to play its role in up-skilling our Guyanese labour and will in the coming weeks seek to consider steps it can take in this regard.”
Only recently in its end of year reflection, GAWU flagged the unfair circumstances which Guyanese are forced to endure in the oil sector.
In that publication, the Union said it learnt that employees were not benefitting from overtime payments, as required by law, and even more so, that workers were being denied their right to unionisation.
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