The Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) is threatening to proceed on industrial action if the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc (BCGI) does not come to the bargaining table with an appropriate proposal. According to a release from the union, on Wednesday the GB&GWU issued a five-day ultimatum to Oldendorff Carrier “to proceed on industrial action if the company refuses to come to the bargaining table with an appropriate proposal.” The union said the ultimatum expires on September 27 and that the notice was issued consistent with Article 6:3 of the Collective Labour Agreement.
The union and company, the release said, have been locked in negotiations for increased wages and improved working conditions for 2010 since June. “After the parties failed to reach an agreement, the union wrote to the Ministry of Labour requesting conciliation under its chairmanship.” According to the release, at the September 15 meeting, Oldendorff informed the union and ministry that its presence was one of courtesy since the union has no right to bring the matter before the ministry. “This prompted the ministry to advise the company that based on the Collective Labour Agreement the union has every right to request conciliation.”
On Thursday, according to the release, the company said that it will not negotiate, which the union argues is contrary to the Collective Labour Agreement. The release said that the workers are yet to be paid their bonuses for 2009 and that the company refuses to discuss the non-payment.
Further, the release said that the union continues “to hold the Minister of Labour to his June 18 pledge to the Geneva-based International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM)” to convene a meeting between itself and BCGI. The union said it has been advised that efforts are being made to facilitate such a process but it will not relent until normalcy resumes.
The union said that it continues to fight the case of the bauxite workers, and said that on Wednesday, the union’s United Kingdom representative Norman Browne met with Luwezi Kinshasa, the Secretary General of the African Socialist International (ASI) to inform him about the 11-month impasse and the discrimination meted out to bauxite workers and their communities.
The impasse, the release said, was also discussed at the recently held conference of the British Trades Union Congress where solidarity was expressed with the union and workers.
