Gov’t awaiting BCGI proposals on resolving dispute with workers before decision on way forward

While government believes that it will have to be sterner with the Russian-owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI), given its defiance in the face of demands that have already been made, it will be awaiting its recommendations for a solution to the ongoing dispute with workers, according to Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally.

“We are waiting on the bauxite company to give us a feedback. As everybody knows, we have put our cards on the table and we are awaiting them to give us a response,” Ally yesterday told Stabroek News. “There is every likelihood, though, that we will have to take it to another level but I don’t like to make conclusions; I want to give it a full chance so that we can look at all the options and then make a decision,” she added.

Following the termination of 60 of its workers, Ally, Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection with responsibility for labour Keith Scott and Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle met with representatives of RUSAL Vladimir Permyakov and BCGI Personnel Officer Mikhail Krupenin. Government had sought to have the workers reinstated but the company made it clear that it would not do so and later sacked 30 more.

Ally had said it was “ludicrous” that the company was seeking to recruit new workers while dismissing those in its employ.

“Why do you want to punish the existing workers instead of settling a dispute which is existing,” she was quoted as saying by the Department of Public Information (DPI) last week. “I can tell you for sure we definitely have to look at the future of the company. This is not right for workers to be punished in this respect,” she added.

The workers began striking on as the workers themselves have said that the union speaks for them.

Chief Labour Officer (CLO) Charles Ogle and other officers facilitated a meeting with the company’s management, while the head of the GB&GWU Lincoln Lewis and other union representatives as well as the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) President Coretta McDonald and Federation of Independent Trade Unions Guyana (FITUG) VicePresident Seepaul Narine were facilitated in another meeting.

The unions later called the arrangement disrespectful.

After the meeting was concluded with the union, Scott, who has responsibility for labour, was also questioned and he said the company will be putting forward some proposals which should be received by the end of the day. He said those proposals will be given to the union for a collective decision.

“There must be concern at some point. The parties have to meet at the table… it will happen,” he said, while noting that the prospects of BCGI leaving the country did not come up in any of the meetings.

Ogle, who kept refusing to comment after being pressed by the media, said the company is going to submit its proposals in “black and white.”

Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman had explained that a request was made to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission to conduct a technical and legal assessment of all the local operations of the RUSAL and the legal and other consequences of closure.

A report was expected to be presented yesterday to President David Granger and ministers for a discussion on the way forward but the company did not submit its proposals.