BCGI gearing to sever workers’ ties with union
to do so without, in my opinion, any good excuse.”
Lewis said that both sides of the coalition that now form the present political administration will doubtless recall that they had not only passed a motion “on the matter of BCGI’s excesses” in the National Assembly but had also “marched in the streets with us on this issue.” Since 2009, the BCGI has refused to treat with the GB&GWU.
This week Stabroek Business spoke with two BCGI workers, who repeatedly requested that their identities be withheld for fear of recrimination. Both employees said they had learnt that the company had prepared new conditions of service to which they are likely to be asked to affix their signatures making clear that they do not need the representation of the GB&GWU. One of the two
workers said he had no doubt that the company’s ploy would be to attempt to coerce most of the workers into signing on to an arrangement that excluded the union then find reasons to remove the remainder.
Since late last year, following a visit to the BCGI’s Berbice River operations by then Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection Simona Broomes, it had been announced that the Labour Department of the ministry had launched an investigation into the treatment of workers there. At that time both the issue of union representation and safety and health considerations had arisen.
Just under a month ago, a meeting of labour leaders had listed a number of issues, including the industrial relations challenges at BCGI, on which they were seeking audience with President David Granger.
Lewis said he believed the signal which BCGI was sending that it would not engage the GB&GWU was intended for “a much larger audience that includes the government. It could well be that they are now ready to throw down a gauntlet to the government on the matter of trade union recognition and its other excesses.”
Asked whether he felt the GB&GWU still had the level of support within the BCGI workforce to retain the bargaining unit, Lewis said the vast majority of workers at BCGI had taken “great risks” to remain loyal to their union. “It may not always have been a perfect relationship but I believe that the workers at BCGI understand clearly the kind of tyranny that can transpire in the absence of union representation,” he added.