There was a standoff yesterday morning between sacked workers of the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc (BCGI) and police who sought to remove a makeshift barrier that had been erected across the Berbice River to obstruct the company’s operations.
While law enforcers had managed to remove the barrier on Wednesday evening, it was subsequently replaced.
The workers, who were initially laid off by the Russian mining company two weeks ago, had blocked the river to protest the company’s actions. As a result, barges belonging to BCGI have been docked at their wharf close to the mine site and unable to travel to New Amsterdam to offload.
Region 10 Commander Superintendent Hugh Winter yesterday told Stabroek News that upon returning to the area police were greeted by a hostile crowd. He explained that residents and workers are upset that they were trying to remove the barrier across the river.
According to Winter, lawmen were forced to stand down to keep the crowd calm and maintain the peace.
Armed and unarmed ranks were posted to the area to monitor the situation. On Wednesday evening, the police had removed ropes and drums used to block the river.
Asked why the police were only now responding to the erection of the barrier, Winter said that they have received complaints from persons using the river. “Other persons other than RUSAL are using the river and they have complained,” the commander said.
Representative of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) Leslie Junor told Stabroek News that there are no other barges waiting to pass other than BGCI’s.
“Everybody else is able to use the river and they are doing so freely. We don’t have a problem with anyone else. The police need to understand that we are peaceful and that this is an industrial action against RUSAL,” Junor said.
The standoff occurred around 7.30 yesterday morning and while the situation escalated no one was hurt.
Junor stated that RUSAL’s actions are unfair and given its history of failing to commit to agreements, the union would like to see all issues resolved before giving into the demands. The removal of the barrier has been requested by RUSAL as a prerequisite to rehiring of workers.
“We want the issues to be resolved. Last year, they signed an agreement to iron out our concerns but nothing happened, they never honoured that. We are not going to accept that this go around. We cannot afford to go down that road again,” Junor stressed.
Working together
Junor, who is the union’s Branch Representative, said that it appears as if the “police and RUSAL are working together.”
He explained that they came to such conclusion as every time the police arrived on the scene, a barge began to travel up the river.
“We have called the top brass of the union, the ministers and others to find out where the order has come from for police to remove the barrier but nobody knows anything. All of a sudden the police come here and attempting to remove the barrier. This is an industrial action. We are doing this because we want our concerns to be addressed but it seems like the police is working along with RUSAL,” Junor added.
He stressed that he hopes that the negotiations can conclude soon and in good faith.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported on Wednesday that the Department of Labour is currently investigating the situation and is working to determine whether all workers have been paid their severance packages.
Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle said the company was asked to “submit to us the breakdown so that we can calculate and confirm that the terminal benefits are accurate.”
According to the DPI report, the minister’s office is focused primarily on the reemployment of the laid-off workers and whether they were paid their severance, among other entitlements.
Ogle disclosed that the suspension of operations in the Berbice River was also on the Department’s agenda.
In writing
Meanwhile, Consultant Francis Carryl said the union has indicated that it will detail in writing what it wishes to achieve at the completion of the engagements. “They are looking for some things that are not yet identified. When we get that written request, which we will have to discuss further, we will know exactly how to move forward,” Carryl noted.
On Monday, during a meeting with the Ministers of Social Protection Amna Ally and Keith Scott, Vladimir Permyakov, RUSAL’s Country Representative, announced that the company had terminated the services of 326 workers. This figure included the 288 staff that were initially laid off.
He said that it was unable to operate due to the blockage of the Berbice River.
The company’s decisions came as a surprise to government officials and they have since called on the company to reinstate all workers and work within the law to resolve longstanding labour issues.
Permyakov informed the meeting at the Ministry of Social Protection’s Lamaha Street, Georgetown office of the company’s decision due to the “abnormal condition.”
In a statement posted on its website, the company announced the suspension of the operations of its business in Guyana and cited continuing unrest.
According to the statement, RUSAL is of the view and believes “opportunities for doing further business in Guyana are now severely limited.” It further said that on the grounds of security and safety, all “expatriate employees have been relocated.”
The company further explained that given the “result of serious illegitimate actions that have gone beyond the control of government and enforcement agencies, including arson of the electricity pylon basement and other corporate property, and blocking of the river, RUSAL considers it prudent to suspend and mothball operations of BCGI.” It was also stated that the services of 326 workers were terminated.
“The suspension of BCGI will have no impact on the Company’s overall performance, as the expected decline in the overall bauxite supply from Guyana will be substituted with raw material from other mines,” the statement added.
During the meeting, Ally said “We cannot allow for our workers to continue to suffer in this respect, so if we have to go to arbitration, we are going to go to arbitration and let us make a decision. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that if it’s a case that RUSAL wants to leave under this government… then do it the normal way.”
The union is however of the belief that RUSAL is seeking to “provoke confrontation” with the government and people of Guyana with the latest firings.
“GB&GWU sees this new act as part of the recent calculated strategy to influence our elections by creating social upheavals. The company is seeking to buy time in the hope that 2nd March delivers the desired results,” the union opined in its statement.
