Dear Editor,
The appalling working conditions observed by Minister Broomes and her party on her visits to Bosai, Linden and GPL, Bartica have been cause for concern to NAACIE union for the longest while, and have been addressed vigorously at meetings with company officials who operated with deaf ears.
Like all other trade unions I expect to hear members criticize the union negatively when someone in authority appears, despite the fact that efforts are being made by their representatives for corrective action and measures to improve the safety of working conditions. I would have been guilty of the same behaviour when I was in the rank and file of GMW, GAWU and NAACIE.
However, I addressed Bosai Mining in the very area visited by the Minister and her delegation, at my request and was granted permission during the investigation of an accident involving a truck and a jeep when three persons were killed and two others injured on very bad road conditions. I observed the conditions and explained to the NAACIE delegation, including our Mines representative of the seriousness of a lack of attention paid to safety by Bosai.
The union at almost every meeting with Bosai made representation, and stressed the need for stricter safety observance, and even supported industrial action to put safety and health on the front burner. The Ministry of Labour knew of these instances.
Attempts to have a joint worker/management training programme on safety and health are still being frustrated by Bosai, while the services of Major Gen (rtd) Norman McLean, Mr Owen Hughes, HR/PR Consultant, and Mr Dale Beresford, Consultant Occupational Safety and Health have been already secured.
Even though our union had no prior knowledge of the visit made by the Minister and her team to Bosai, we are encouraged for the first-hand knowledge she has acquired so that workers can be assisted in their struggle to have safety and health laws enforced and observed on which we have been insisting.
It is important to note that on the day of the visit to Bosai, the NAACIE union was at the Ministry of Labour in Georgetown at a conciliatory meeting with Bosai on the treatment of its members.
Yours faithfully,
Kenneth Joseph
General Secretary
NAACIE
