The Ministry of Natural Resources has come under fire from the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) in the wake of the recent resurfacing of reports of health-related problems among employees of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) linked to the use of mercury in the processing of gold in the same compound housing the GGMC.
Amidst reports that several workers employed by the GGMC had taken ill and that their illnesses are likely linked to fumes emanating from mercury, the GPSU accused the Ministry of Natural Resources of going back on an understanding arrived at under the previous administration with regard to putting the health of the workers first by bringing an end to the practice of processing the gold in an area in proximity to where the GGMC workers are situated.
In a statement issued on Wednesday the GPSU said it was “shocked that some considerable period after the matter of the use of mercury in the processing of gold had been the subject of detailed discourse between the Management/Administration of the GGMC and the Union and after a clear understanding had been reached regarding the imperative of putting the health of the workers first by ceasing the practice and ensuring the protection of the workers”, that the situation continued.
