Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) General Secretary Lincoln Lewis has accused the government of showing that it cares more for its bilateral relations with Russia than it does for its own citizens, after the Social Protection Ministers recently met with the management of the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) in the absence of the workers’ union.
Ministers of Social Protection Volda Lawrence and Keith Scott recently held engagements with the management of the BCGI on workers’ welfare issues, in the absence of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU), which is the union legally recognised to represent their interests.
“Engaging the company in the absence of the union is a breach of the law. The collective agreement between BCGI and GB&GWU is legal and binding and it says what must happen when workers have a grievance,” Lewis told Stabroek News yesterday.