Probe into alleged labour violations – EKAA HRIM quarry to pay workers next week

Management of quarry company EKAA HRIM Earth Resources has committed to paying outstanding salaries and wages to its aggrieved workers by next Wednesday, May 27, as investigations continue into allegations of labour and occupational safety and health violations and suspected trafficking of Indian nationals, who work at the quarry’s operation in Batavia, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
The decision was announced following a multi-agency meeting on Friday between the quarry company, the Labour and Manpower Planning Ministry and a number of other agencies, including the Indian High Commission.
“An inter-agency meeting comprising officials from the Ministries of Legal Affairs and Home Affairs as well as Human Services, led by the Ministry of Labour & Manpower Planning, assembled at the Ministry and met with the workers and representatives of the company. The acting Indian High Commissioner was also present and engaged in this process,” the statement noted.

According to a statement from the Ministry, during Friday’s meeting both the aggrieved workers and the company raised other matters “for which they have undertaken to supply additional supporting documentation in the new week”.
“In this regard, the Ministry emphasises that the process remains ongoing and continues to be guided by the principles of due process and compliance with the laws of Guyana,” the statement said.
The workers’ situation has been under investigation since earlier this week when some 38 Indian nationals working at the company made several damning allegations against the company, including unsafe health and safety working conditions, workplace injuries, allegations concerning the reported death of a worker on May 12, allegations of workers being prevented from leaving the worksite, unjustified salary deductions and that their passports and other property were being withheld by the company’s management.
Additionally, according to reports, the workers’ employment contracts included a number of questionable clauses which required the workers to pay thousands of US dollars to the company if they chose to leave.
The company has denied all wrongdoing. Following the intervention of the Minister Keoma Griffith, the passports were returned to the workers.
The Indian nationals were reportedly employed by Ekaa Hrim Earth Resources for the past three years. Statements have been obtained from all of the victims, and officials at the Indian High Commission in Georgetown were engaged.
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) in Guyana is governed by the Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act. It states that “any person who, for the purpose of trafficking in persons and acting or purporting to act as another person’s employer, manager, supervisor, contractor, employment agent, or solicitor of clients such as a pimp, knowingly procures, destroys, conceals, removes, confiscates, or possesses any travel document or other Government identification document, whether actual or purported, belonging to another person commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of one million dollars together with imprisonment for five years.