The 326 workers that were sacked by RUSAL-owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc (BCGI) after the company suspended its operation here have been paid their salaries for February by the government holding company, the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).
General Secretary of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) Lincoln Lewis yesterday confirmed to Stabroek News that given the circumstances of workers not being employed for the month of February, the union reached out to the government and requested assistance to alleviate the hardships they have been facing.
Lewis said that the request was granted and workers were paid their monthly salaries in accordance with their rates.
Branch Secretary of the GB&GWU Leslie Junor told Stabroek News that workers were very happy to receive their salaries and to know that their “fight for what is right is not ignored.”
He said that they have been fighting hard for their rights to be respected and not working for a month has had an impact on many families.
He added that workers are still awaiting a resolution to the ongoing dispute between them and BGCI and are hoping that it will be settled soon.
Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo met with the Russian Ambassador to Guyana Alexander Kurmaz and he enquired about RUSAL’s position on the future of its operations here.
Nagamootoo explained that during the discussions Kurmaz indicated that the Russian government could not intervene in the company’s affairs since it is a private company. He, however, indicated to Nagamootoo that the company has informed the mission that it was suspending operations here.
Two weeks ago, Social Protection Minister Amna Ally met with workers at Aroaima, Berbice River and said that her government is committed to ensuring that the sacked BCGI workers are taken care of.
Additionally, the Social Protection Ministry is currently awaiting legal advice from the Ministry of Legal Affairs to determine how it will move forward in dealing with the issue, Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle said.
The GB&GWU and BCGI have been in a decade-long labour dispute over a number of issues, including wages. Following strikes last year, the company signed an agreement to engage the union to find a solution but this did not happen.
RUSAL at the end of January fired the workers and announced the suspension of its operations. This announcement came as a surprise to government officials as they were only made aware of the company’s decision during a planned meeting.
The workers subsequently erected a barrier across the Berbice River to prevent BCGI vessels from using the river. As a result, barges belonging to BCGI have been docked at their wharf close to the mine site and are unable to travel to New Amsterdam to offload. At present the situation remains the same.
Junor told Stabroek News that no vessel transporting logs and other materials along the river is being affected by the blockage.
“The logs transportation and small boats are able to pass freely. We don’t have a problem with them. It is the vessels that are associated with RUSAL that are being affected. We don’t have a problem with Oldendorff (the contracted company used by RUSAL to transport its bauxite) but they are associated with RUSAL so they are affected,” Junor said.
Earlier this month, the police attempted to remove the barrier across the river and this resulted in a standoff. The police had to retreat after the residents became hostile.
