The political crisis over the March 2 elections results has further contributed to uncertainty about the future for the 326 workers that were sacked by the RUSAL-owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc (BCGI) in January, General Secretary of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) Lincoln Lewis has said.
Speaking with Stabroek News yesterday, Lewis said the rift between workers and BGCI remains at a standstill as there is no government in place to facilitate talks that will result in a resolution.
He stressed that the current political situation has been ongoing for too long and the union would like to see this situation be resolved so that they can resolve issues for the workers.
At the last engagement with the Labour Department, Lewis said, the union was pressing for the dispute to go to compulsory arbitration.
Branch Secretary for the union Leslie Junor yesterday explained that a number of sacked employees remain at the riverfront guarding the wire rope barrier erected across the Berbice River.
To protest the company’s ad hoc firings and suspension of operations, the workers had strung barrels and jars across the river to prevent two barges filled with bauxite from crossing 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 last night said while they are prepared to wait out the post-elections period, they would like to see a resolution in the fastest time possible.
He explained that at this moment, it is unclear whether there will be any intervention from the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) to assist with the workers’ March salaries since there is no government in place to give directives.
“We are uncertain of what will happen because there is no government in place. The sooner the situation in the country is resolved it will be better for us. We are in the same position nothing has changed but we are still fighting,” Junor said.
The union, through a request to Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, received a grant of just over $30 million to pay workers their wages and salaries for February.
Lewis said the decision was taken to alleviate the hardships workers and their families have been facing.
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.
In February, 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 since then affected residents and workers of Aroaima, Berbice River have been vigilant and guarding the barrier.
They have indicated that no vessel transporting logs and other materials along the river is being affected by the blockage.
