Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) workers yesterday began striking after talks for a 30% salary increase failed.
The workers, who downed tools and protested in front of the GGMC’s Brickdam offices, braved the rainy weather to register their frustration with the GGMC’s failure to address their plight. They vowed that they will continue their protest action until they get a satisfactory result.
GGMC staff at locations outside Georgetown have adopted the same position as their colleagues and they may travel to the city to join the picket line.
Several attempts by management to sort out the situation were futile as the workers insisted that talks should be held with the union and not them.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Newell Dennison said a press release was in the making on the situation and would soon be shared with the media. GGMC Commissioner Rickford Vieira, according to his office, is on leave.
The spokesperson for the aggrieved workers, senior industrial relations officer Dennis English, told Stabroek News that some 150 workers had opted to down tools after being dissatisfied with the discussions between the GGMC management and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).
He said that this industrial action is being taken to ensure that the workers receive salary increases for 2013. “We are still having negotiations and we thought it best that we propose a 15% increase across-the-board interim payout to the workers… so that they would not suffer a detriment as a result of the long negotiations,” English explained.
He stated that this interim payout would have allowed for continued discussions. He said that a salary increase from GGMC is long overdue, while pointing out that they have only benefited from the general public service increase that was last instituted in 2013.
English, who said the workers of the GGMC have a right to negotiate separately from the public service, noted that a proposal was done for 2013 and was sent to management.
He said that in response, a proposal, based on a consultant’s report which had salary increases attached to various position, was sent to them.
According to English, the union is not in agreement with the proposals as lower-end employees would not really benefit.
He later said that the union’s proposal is for a 30% increase and a one-off payment for 2013 but the management asked them to look at the proposal from the consultant’s report. “On examining the document, we recognise that it would not have done justice across the board… we don’t think that was fair,” he said, adding that this resulted in continuous negotiations.
Asked what will happen if they don’t get the results they are looking for, English said that based on the discussion with the workers, a decision will be made on how they will intensify their action and possibly change their strategy. “That will be done with the consensus of the workers,” he said, before adding that they plan to continue their protest action today but it “depends on what happens at the end of the day… but we intend to take a firm stand until justice is done.”
He said no one from management had yet come out to speak with those on the picket line but he suspected that they were engaging with the union.
Jermaine Hermanstyne, GPSU industrial relations officer, told this newspaper that it is up to management to “decide how long this will go on for ’cause it is management who seems bent on giving the workers a raw deal.” He said the workers have taken a stance to withdraw their labour since they feel this is in their best interest.
According to Hermanstyne, the union has given management every “conceivable opportunity to solve this situation in an amicable way.” He said that management has decided to treat the workers unfairly. “In keeping with proper bargaining principles, the workers had to issue an ultimatum. It is only after that ultimatum was issued then management tried to do something and at that stage it was nothing concrete. What they did was try to pelt something that we would call a bluff,” he added. He said the workers will not be falling for it as they recognise that it is in their best interest to do what is necessary.
When Stabroek News arrived, dozens of workers dressed in their uniform were standing under umbrellas. Some were holding placards. Traffic slowed to a crawl as passing motorists slowed to inquire what was happening.
Several uniformed policemen watched the protest from the security hut in the GGMC compound, where they retreated to seek shelter from the rain.
