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Indian Nationals demand passports, backpay and repatriation
…after abysmal working conditions exposed at Ekaa Quarry
By Khadidja Ba
(Kaieteur News) – A group of Indian national workers stepped forward to expose what they describe as “abysmal,” exploitative, and unsafe working conditions at the EKAA Quarry located in Batavia, Region 7.
The workers, primarily men aged 25 years and older, are demanding the immediate return of their passports, the payment of outstanding wages and guarantees, and urgent repatriation to India. The sudden, on-the-job death of their colleague, Sekhar Chhetri, has sparked widespread fear among the workforce, prompting them to refuse to continue their employment.
The Indian Nationals are demanding the return of their passports and owed payments from EKAA HRIM.
Broken promises and withheld passports
The affected workers, some of whom have been with the company for periods ranging from one to three years, revealed to KN a disconnect between the lucrative recruitment promises made to them in India and the harsh realities of the quarry site.
According to contracts lasting 24 to 36 months, wages were tier-structured based on grade: blasters were promised $1,500 USD per month (with $1,300 USD intended to be sent home and $200 USD kept for expenses), regular workers expected $1,000 USD per month and helpers were slated to receive $500 USD per month for a Monday-to-Saturday work week.
Instead, workers detailed an agonising cycle of delayed payments and a complete lack of transparency. “We get paid in a very long time,” one employee explained, noting that their March salaries were not paid until April 25, and they have yet to receive any earnings for the month of April. “I came here to feed my family. So, if it is late… going on, going on, going on, that affected my family directly. It’s all suffering.”
Furthermore, the workers stated they have never received a physical payslip, leaving them entirely in the dark regarding statutory deductions or contributions. They also alleged that arbitrary monetary deductions were being made by the company, despite management later denying this yesterday during a meeting with the Acting High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Mr. Manoj Kumar.
Crucially, the laborers confirmed that their travel documents are being withheld. “The passports… they took our passports. Passports in company hand,” a worker stated.
When challenged, company representatives reportedly claimed the passports were being held for “security” and “safety” reasons. The workers have adamantly rejected this explanation, demanding: “No any issue, give our passport back. Bring it back, yeah.”
“One Man Cut His Hand, One Man Died”: Safety Fears and Isolation
The catalyst for the workers’ asking for help was the sudden death of Sekhar Chhetri at the quarry, alongside a general environment of unaddressed workplace hazards. KN understands that the workers communicated to Guyanese who live nearby their working area. Those persons then reached out to the leader of the opposition who then met with them and publicly raised these concerns.
“We have some safety issues and so on, that’s why we don’t want to continue there,” a labourer stated grimly. “One of our colleagues was working, he just died. That’s why we are scared about that and we want to get from there.”
When workers confronted management regarding the lack of safety protocols, the company reportedly deflected, asking them: “Where is the proof? You say no safety. Where is the proof? You have any evidence?” Workers countered by pointing directly to the fatalities and severe physical injuries, noting, “One man cut his hand, one man died.”
Compounding the safety hazards is the extreme geographic and logistical isolation of the Batavia quarry site. Workers reported a complete lack of proper medical facilities and highly unreliable transportation infrastructure. The site relies entirely on a water journey via boats, which are frequently unavailable when needed.
The workers also voiced deep frustration to KN at a total lack of oversight from regulatory bodies over the last two years, “No labour commissioner or minister has come there. The health minister also not come there. Safety Department, don’t ask. Never visited.”
Political and Diplomatic Interventions
The leader of the opposition disclosed that he personally engaged the Indian High Commissioner to secure the immediate release of the workers’ travel documents. Because the ultimate owner of the company is currently located in India, the High Commissioner committed to placing an urgent call to the owner to facilitate the return of the passports. The opposition leader emphasised the high commissioner’s concern, noting that the diplomat specifically opened his office on a Sunday to meet with the aggrieved workers and review their targeted list of financial demands “So I just told the Indian High Commissioner that I’m demanding them to get their passports. He said he’s going to call them… call the owner because the owner is in India. They said the owner is in India. So, I told them that at least we want the passports. He said he’s going to call the owner and find out if they can get their passports tonight.”
Kaieteur News understands, based on a statement from the office of the leader of the opposition last night that the high commissioner requested a private audience with five of the Indian nationals. The workers reportedly refused to meet without the opposition leader present, a request that was not accommodated. A collective meeting was subsequently held between the high commissioner, the opposition leader, and opposition Members of Parliament. During the engagement, the opposition delegation raised six major concerns, demanding the immediate return of passports for all 38 Indian nationals, the full payment of outstanding wages by EKAA HRIM, and compensation for inhumane treatment and contract breaches. They also demanded compensation for the family of deceased worker Sekhar Chhetri, redress for an injured worker repatriated after losing four fingers in a workplace accident, and that EKAA HRIM bear all repatriation airfare costs to return the remaining workers and Chhetri’s remains to India.
While the high commissioner noted that the company representatives present lacked the authority to make decisions, he undertook to relay these demands to senior management. He indicated he had instructed executive management to provide an update by today, April 18, 2026, including proof of any past payments.
Meanwhile, the opposition leader emphasised that the workers’ passports must be returned immediately, while Mohamed flagged broader concerns regarding the treatment of employees at other entities owned by Saju Bhaskar. The opposition delegation said that the reported conditions, including passport confiscation, labour under duress, starvation, and a lack of drinking water, constitute severe breaches of human rights and violate ILO Conventions on forced labor.
In response to the mounting outcry and social media exposure, the management of Ekaa Hrim Earth Resources Management Inc issued an official press statement. In it, the company expressed deep sadness over the passing of their “valued colleague,” but explicitly countered allegations of overwork, stating that medical findings and a post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death to be a heart attack.
The company stated that its primary focus is supporting the deceased’s family and coordinating with authorities, while actively accusing social media platforms of spreading “misleading and inaccurate information” that creates “unnecessary fear, confusion, and misunderstanding.”
The statement continued:
“The management… is working closely with the High Commission of India in Guyana, the Ministry of Labour, and the relevant authorities to ensure that all matters related to this incident are addressed with the utmost transparency and responsibility. Verified information and supporting documentation will be shared through the appropriate channels in due course.”
The company urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified claims and maintained that they remain fully committed to employee welfare, transparency, and compliance with Guyanese laws.
Meanwhile, the workers indicated that the exposure of these conditions has caused a rift, with the company alleging that the labourers have intentionally “spoiled their image” and good name within the country.
A critical follow-up meeting is scheduled to take place tomorrow, where company representatives are expected to present an itemized list detailing exactly what payout each worker is owed.
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One thought on “Indian Nationals demand passports, backpay and repatriation”
Blunt of the day
Sports
Features/Columnists
Sir. Ronald Sanders
The GHK Lall Column
Weekend Cartoon
See ?, Not only Guyanese are being “stiffed” by their employers when they
work and not being paid promptly. The INDIANS learnt the ways in Guyana.
I read in past of the Security Guards at some local companies doing the
same- paying their workers after 3-4 weeks waiting.
Families/children go starving when this taking place.
Why is this Indian Company permitted to operate a QUARRY in Guyana
with only INDIAN LABORERS ?
Holding their passports as security follow a pattern in Dubai, elsewhere for
recruited migrant workers.