Dear Editor,
As it relates to my letter that was published in Stabroek News on September 1 (‘Workers still waiting for bonus frm Oldendorff’), the editor of Stabroek News noted that they had sent a copy of it to Captain Zakaria El Dib, general manager of Oldendorff Carriers Guyana Inc (OCGI) for any comment he might have wished to make and had received no response. I am not surprised Captain Zakaria did not respond; what can he say when all I mentioned in my letter is true?
I am calling on the Chairman and Mr Peter Twiss, the CEO of Oldendorff Carriers, to intervene and pay the employees of OCGI their 35% bonus for the year 2009 which rightfully belongs to them, since the bonus forms part of the workers’ conditions of employment, not forgetting the company made a written commitment to pay it.
Other companies known to me which operate in Guyana pay their employees bonuses in December of each year, including JP Knights and Viceroy whcih were the two companies whose operations in Guyana Oldendorff took over.
Also I understand that every time the officers of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union ask the company for permission to hold a meeting with the workers on the worksite it is never granted; there is always an excuse or they are told it is not possible. The union says that when they negotiated the Collective Labour Agreement with Oldendorff the company said that whenever the union required to meet with workers it would provide transportation for this purpose, for example at Volga in the New Amsterdam basin. Internationally companies normally give unions unimpeded access to meet with workers. This is not forgetting that GB&GWU was given a certificate of recognition by the Guyana Trade Union Recognition Board for the workers at OCGI. I would like the union to say something on this issue of meeting with the workers.
Yours faithfully,
A Harris
