The Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board (TUR&CB) is considering an application made by some RUSAL workers to have the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) derecognised as their bargaining representative.
According to Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir, the TUR&CB is yet to make a ruling on this matter. He told Stabroek News that the board is still awaiting some key information that will help in addressing the issue. This information is expected to be in the board’s possession before the next scheduled meeting, the minister said. Nadir, however, did not disclose the date of the next scheduled board meeting.
Further, Nadir said his ministry “has not been involved directly or indirectly in soliciting any union to go after workers” at the RUSAL subsidiary, the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc (BCGI). Officials of the GB&GWU had accused the government of being in collusion with the bauxite company to have NAACIE take over as the main bargaining body for the workers at the BCGI.
The GB&GWU also accused NAACIE of playing an active part in this attempt at union busting.
NAACIE’s General Secretary Kenneth Joseph has since staunchly denied those allegations and told this newspaper that his union had been invited by some of the company’s workers to discuss the possibility of NAACIE representing them.
Joseph said he had been invited to a meeting with some of the workers but he declined and advised them to meet GB&GWU officials.
Meanwhile, Nadir said the law states that after a union is recognised, a stipulated period of time has to elapse before another union can mobilize support. He explained that after this period expires, any union can go after the members of another union.
According to Section 29 (1) (a) and (b) of the Trade Union Recognition Act Cap 98:07: “No application for certification shall be entertained or proceeded with where there is a recognized majority union for the same bargaining unit described in the application; and the application is made earlier than two years after the recognized majority union obtained certification as such, but an application may be made with leave of the board although two years have not expired since the certification was obtained.”
Following a wage dispute in November, workers of the company engaged in industrial action. However, subsequently, several of the workers aborted the strike and resumed working with the company. Subsequently about 50 workers – including some senior members of the union—were dismissed by the BCGI.
Union leaders have since argued that the workers who went back to work were forced to sign letters to say that they wanted the GB&GWU to be derecognized.
The union has since taken its concerns to the TUR&CB, the Chief Labour Officer, and the Ethnic Relations Committee (ERC). Further, the union has since collaborated with several international bodies in putting together a “worldwide petition” to register its concerns with Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir.
