Dear Editor,
Of all the foreign bauxite companies that have operated at Aroaima, Kwakwani and Everton, the Russian-owned Bauxite Company Guyana Inc (Rusal) is the worst, as this company shows total disregard and disrespect for the workers and their union (the Guyana Bauxite and general Workers Union); for Guyana’s labour laws and practices; and for the international labour conventions that Guyana has signed. Furthermore, the company has not been altogether a good corporate company in respect of its neighbours and the communities in which it operates.
In December 2009 57 workers who were engaged in strike action for increased wages and improved working conditions were dismissed; in May 2009 workers who protested unsafe working conditions were suspended; in November 2010 workers who protested BCGI’s insanitary cockroach and rat infested kitchen, and the use of expired food items used to prepare their meals were dismissed.
The company’s then Managing Director, Mr Ruslan Volokhov wrote the then Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir informing him that the company had terminated the collective bargaining agreement and had also derecognized the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU). They have stuck to their lawless positions which are a breach of Article 23 (1) of the Trade Union Recognition Act. The then APNU and AFC parliamentary opposition brought the matter before the House requesting that the Minister of Labour have the matter addressed, but no action was taken by the government and Mr Nadir did not fulfil his duty.
The next Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul decided to send the union and company dispute to arbitration, but the company failed to turn up on March 13 for an arbitration meeting called by the Ministry of Labour. The company’s lawyer sent a letter informing the Secretary of the Arbitration Tribunal that he was unable to represent Rusal’s management (who were abroad), since he was out of the jurisdiction.
The company went to court on the matter and has been granted a court order halting arbitration proceedings. Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang, granted the order nisi. The effect of this order is to stall all arbitration proceedings until the matter is heard and determined.
In 2014 in the absence of GB&GWU representation the company changed the standard format for calculating the annual Christmas safety bonus payout, resulting in workers receiving less money.
At present the company employs most of its workers on contract, and in doing so it does not make deductions for payments to NIS and GRA, which are required by the laws of NIS and GRA.
In early 2014 the company prevented Hururu loggers and residents access through the Kurubuka 22 Mines main road to cut logs which they depend upon for livelihood. Also they initially refused to pay the Hururu Village Council a reasonable monthly fee for the road leading to the wharf and the construction/operations of a wharf at the Kurubuka 22 Mine site. This resulted in residents staging a protest and blocking the road from the Hururu crossing barge area leading to Kurubuka 22 miles which the company uses, and also blocking access to the Berbice River preventing the company’s tugs and barges from operating. It is the opinion of many persons that Mr Herman Williams, the company’s sergeant/Community’s Liaison Officer who had nothing to do with the protest and related blockages of the road and river, was made the scapegoat for the incident by the company, which soon after made his job redundant. Mr Williams had worked his way up from a constable to a sergeant/Community Liaison Officer and further he is a recipient of a number of awards from the company for exemplary service. He is widely known for his commitment and for working beyond the call of duty on any job he undertakes.
It is the opinion of many that Victor Kersting a former technical production manager with the company was wrongly dismissed under the pretext of loss of confidence. Mr Kersting is known for providing quality service in any job he undertakes, and has a long history with the bauxite companies that operated at Aroaima.
In the absence of GB&GWU representation, many other employees have been wrongfully dismissed without payment of the benefits to which they are entitled. However, with this new APNU+AFC government in power it is expected that the issues listed above would be urgently addressed with the union finding its rightful place as the bargaining agent of the workers.
Yours faithfully,
Micah Williams
General Secretary
The People United and General
Workers Union
