The government last night used its majority in the National Assembly to reject a no-confidence motion moved against Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir, regarding his performance in the impasse between the GB&GWU and the RUSAL subsidiary BCGI.
Debate on the motion went on for hours last evening and it was eventually defeated 34 to 20 votes when a division was called for after 11 pm.
The motion, which was moved by PNCR-1G Shadow Labour Minister Basil Williams, sought among other things to have the National Assembly declare a lack of confidence in Nadir “for his failure to carry out his legal responsibilities for the settlement of trade disputes particularly, the dispute between the Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU) and the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI).” The two parties have been at loggerheads for about 18 months, but the dispute intensified last November when the workers at the company engaged in strike action which was subsequently terminated. However, following the strike, more than 50 workers were dismissed.
