Employees of Bosai Minerals Group yesterday downed tools to protest the company’s proposal of a 5.5% wages and salary increase. Workers are calling for a higher increase since they were given a 6.5% increase in 2020 when the pandemic had almost crippled the sector.
Scores of workers yesterday left their posts, forcing operations to come to a halt as they called on management of the bauxite producing company to offer a much more lucrative package.
Stabroek News was told that the protest will continue today as workers seek to have their demand of a 10% increase met.
Representatives of the Guyana Bauxite Workers Union and BOSAI’s management are also expected to meet today in bid to resolve issues.
Fearful of victimisation, one employee requested that his name be withheld as he commented on the issue.
In his view, he said, the proposed increase is “disrespectful” to workers as they have been working daily to produce.
The company, he claims, is rebutting their demand by stating that it has been severely impacted by the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, from their knowledge, that is not true as they have been working long hours and putting in the time to ensure that production is maintained.
“Last year when COVID was bad we had 6.5% increase, this year the situation is better and more ships are coming and they want to give us 5.5% increase. That is unfair to us. Cost of living raise and we have been working the hours they ask us to but they don’t want to consider a higher increase,” the worker stated.
He pointed out that prior to the proposal, there was meeting with their union and it is on that note that the announced increase was met with strike action.
“The company is in a better position, they can’t tell us differently because we have been working long hours and more and more ships have been coming to collect bauxite. Production was not decreased and our working hours were not cut, we have been working as normal,” the worker stressed as he argued his point for a higher wage increase.
He said that workers are prepared to go the course to have their demands met before they return to work.
