Bosai, NAACIE working to resolve employees’ issues

Following a protest by employees of the Linden bauxite company Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated

(BMGGI) on Thursday, negotiations are continuing as the union and the company seek to address the issues.
Representative of the National Association of Agricultural Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) Linnell Warden said the protest was fuelled by dissatisfaction over the pace of the ongoing wages and salary negotiations, among other issues.
Protesting employees had indicated that the negotiations for across-the-board increase are at 4.5 per cent, which they consider slothful, since they are aiming at a 9 per cent increase.
Warden said the company and union met following the protest to discuss the various issues and future plans. He noted that issues currently being ironed out include vacation and payment as well as tax fee-overtime. The tax-fee overtime was expected to be awarded to bauxite workers at least eight months ago.
Warden said the issue of security is also an ongoing one with the company: “The negotiation is ongoing. We continue to reach on a weekly basis as per normal and to move forward with the negotiations to see how fast we can wrap it up.”
Other issues such as improved benefits and security were all outlined by the protesting employees. The mine workers also complained of having to travel in a bus without air conditioning on dusty roads and the need for an ambulance since they are presently utilising a faulty pickup truck.
Employees had also outlined the need for improvement in the area of payment and benefits. A protesting employee noted: “Like when you work for a couple of years, the benefits don’t be too nice again…they don’t have a proper payroll system…From since last year we keep fighting about these issues over and over.”
Another concern highlighted was workers having to work inside the pit that is rather dark. However, as it relates to increases, an employee indicated that they were promised that negotiations will be completed by the end of September.
Meanwhile, BMGGI Personnel Manager Trudell Marks said the employees would have walked off the job due to grievances; one being the ongoing negotiations which they believe should have been completed a long time ago: “We are still in negotiations.” She indicated that ambulatory issues should be resolved within the near future.
“With the issue of the ambulance, this is an ongoing complain and management, right now we have a bus awaiting customs clearance. We purchased a bus to be used as an ambulance. We are going to convert it, put in the necessary apparatus and that would be used as an ambulance,” she said.
Only last year the employees had protested under similar circumstances as it relates to across-the-board increases and had managed to secure 6.5 per cent.
Likewise in 2013, following protest action by employees, BMGGI and the NAACIE had agreed on a 7 per cent across-the-board increase.