Employees attached to bauxite mining company Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Incorporated in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) downed tools on Wednesday over disagreements relating to a proposed salary increase.
Over 60 employees, mainly operators attached to the East Montgomery Mines location, w
Employees of Bosai in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) protesting at the company’s headquarters on Wednesday
alked for miles where they joined others at the north gate of the company in peaceful protest.
According to the disgruntled employees, the action stemmed from a proposal made by the company to pay a salary increase ranging from six to 6.5 per cent. Based on the offer, employees noted that they would be paid a six per cent increase if they agree to this amount for one year, or a 6.5 per cent increase if they agree to it for a period of two years. This, the employees are contending, is totally unacceptable. Assembling at the company’s main location in Linden, the protesting employees mainly chanted, “Six per cent can’t work!” with some holding up placards sharing their disagreements.
The employees contended that while they are willing to accept any increase above 6.5 per cent, a nine per cent or above increase would be most welcomed.
An employee, Cecile Boston of the Mines Department, said the proposal is unacceptable as he pointed out that employees are hoping for a reasonable resolution to the situation. He said employees are asking that Bosai’s management reconsider what is being offered.
“This is unacceptable, because we don’t know what next year will bring…so we shouldn’t bargain for next year. The bargaining is supposed to start from 6.5 per cent… over the past three to four years we have been getting 6.5 per cent, so how now we must accept six per cent?”
The employee pointed out that, “the work getting harder and harder every day. It’s a great infringement upon us…we are in the mining sector, the operations section which is number one of Bosai and without us, Bosai don’t have a business…we need some changes and we’re talking positive changes”.
The employees noted that while they all work a 12 hour shift for six days, they are paid varying rates. Nevertheless, the stated that the proposed increase will be insufficient.
“When you calculate your money for your six days period…the money cannot suffice, it’s not enough. And it’s a bauxite company that is one of the main outstanding minerals that has Guyana surviving…We’re family-oriented people with children, responsibilities, with bills and this money cannot do anything for us. Cost of living getting higher every day. Every year they’re setting a new (work) target and the target is being met…by the same people that they are treating like this. We can’t accept that…today is the end of the road. We have to do something. We’re not here to create any issues…we just need them to understand that we’re the feet for the table and if you’re not taking care of the feet, the table can’t stand,” Boston stressed.
He noted that tensions increased as a meeting which was planned earlier on Wednesday between management, the workers union and employees had been cancelled.
Another employee, Clint Duke, who has been working with the company for over seven years, said the workers feel disrespected with the proposal as they had been expecting a better offer.
“Instead of trying to make things better to me, they’re making things worse, because every day cost of living going up…I think that’s really unfair … I think they can do better for workers”.
Meanwhile, Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) Divisional Chairman Whitney Graham noted that for the past four years, employees have been receiving a 6.5 per cent increase, while the company has been setting annual targets which are achieved.
He said this year’s proposal seems to be holding employees at ransom and they are prepared to continue the protest until their demands are met.
“Every year we’re supposed to have negotiations…but they (company) wanted it for two years because, the end result they would gain… that would mean, automatically, next year, no retro would be paid so it would be in their favour. So it is like a ransom now for us not to go with the one year (proposal) but the two years, but the workers don’t want no two years (negotiation),”, he told this publication.
“Basically, we’re at negotiations right now…management make a proposal to the workers which they do not approve of and they’re not prepared to accept the workers’ demands, so as a result, the workers decide to take strike action against the company,” he continued.
Back in 2016, the employees had also protested an across the board increase of 4.5 per cent which was at the negotiations stage, as they aimed for a nine per cent increase.
