The management of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the union representing striking workers met yesterday after an intervention from the Ministry of Labour but failed to reach an agreement to end the ongoing industrial action.
This was revealed yesterday by Industrial Relations Officer attached to the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Jermaine Hermanstyne, who said the GGMC’s management did, however, concede the legality of the strike action that was taken by the workers.
“We agreed yesterday that the industrial action was legal after the union pointed out the ramifications…,” he said.
Previously, the GGMC’s management denounced the strike action as illegal, while saying negotiations on wage increases with the union were still ongoing.
Hermanstyne also revealed that the Ministry of Labour called on both parties yesterday to sit and come to a compromise. He said although a proposal was made by management, including that workers return to work, the union refused and indicated that they are not prepared to do so until “something favourable” was put on the table.
“Management said that they are not in the position to bring anything to the table as yet until the Minister [of Natural Resources and the Environment Robert Persaud] looks at it because the minister is the approving officer and he was out of the country,” he said.
Efforts to contact the Minister and the management of GGMC for comment yesterday were futile.
Hermanstyne maintained that the situation will return to normal when a favourable offer is made to workers.
Some GGMC staffers resumed picketing outside of the agency’s Brickdam headquarters on Tuesday to renew their call for increased wages, while saying the GGMC breached the agreed terms of resumption by failing to resolve the matter by the 31st of December last year.