Bauxite Union urges arbitration to resolve RUSAL dispute

…bashes Labour Dept for incompetency

The Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the coalition government’s lack of approach in handling the RUSAL dispute and has urged the Labour Department to go to arbitration.

Russian-owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) had reached a deadlock and the firm then moved to suspend its entire operation here and dismissed over 300 workers. The company is also rumoured to be permanently closing its operations here after a number of equipment was mobilised from the Aroraima site.
On Friday, General Secretary of the Union, Lincoln Lewis explained that the well-being of these workers should be protected.
“What is the hindrance to the resolution? We need to know…These are workers. These are citizens of Guyana. All they’re fighting for, all they’re asking for is for the rule of law to be applied. Is that asking too much of a government?” Lewis said.

He added, “In the grievance procedure, it says that when we negotiate the collective labour agreement, you will have bilateral – the company and the Union. When that fails, you go to conciliation. When conciliation fails, the conciliator has a responsibility to declare a deadlock, which paves the way for arbitration.”
Zeroing on the situation in Aroraima, he reminded that there have been protests action by workers throughout the past days and even law enforcement officials were called to quell the situation. For this, the General Secretary said that the coalition administration should be held accountable.
“This Government has an opportunity not to let blood on its hands by moving this matter to arbitration and I’m sure this is not the first time the Minister has referred to. Not the first time they’re hearing this… This Government is being held accountable today and must withstand scrutiny.”
He went on to say that the company is on the verge of closing its operations, while the Social Protection Ministry is still in talks for the workers to be reinstated.
“They are asking RUSAL in the first instance to reemploy these people. RUSAL carry away nearly all of the mining equipment. How daft we are? If these people carry away the mining equipment, you believe any word from them that they will reemploy these people.”
“The Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union has been asking for the parties – the BCGI management and the Union to move to conciliation to allow the process in governance procedure to work. This is a legal process and it must be allowed to work,” Lewis further added.
He also assessed the capability of the Labour Department by saying, “They [the Labour Department] …are incompetent…A bunch of incompetent men who are working for the employer against the State”.
On Monday, Government Minister Amna Ally joined Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle to engage officials of RUSAL.
In recent times, the company had been facing some difficulties, which the meeting was called to iron out. However, during these discussions, it was learnt that the company had already taken the decision to terminate some 326 workers and close its operations before entering talks with the Ministry.
When the company had initially announced its decision to terminate 142 workers, it stated that it was experiencing difficulties after Government ended its duty-free arrangement for its fuel. Following the decision to lay-off employees, workers and residents blocked the section of the Berbice River utilised by the Aroraima-based company. This further compounded the company’s problems.
A letter from the company dated January 29, 2020, which was seen by Guyana Times , indicated that the company was forced to further reduce operations and to lay-off employees owing to adverse operating circumstances including shipment interruption because of the blockage of the Berbice River.