…RUSAL workers assured of govt’s backing

RUSAL workers are upbeat after meeting with top government officials regarding the fallout from the US sanctions on their company, and the Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources is to head a task force to iron out matters relating to the issue.
On Friday the workers said they felt better about the future of their jobs following the meeting with Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, and Minister Simona Broomes as well as Region 10 Members of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira and Audwin Rutherford.

Over 100 workers attended the meeting at the company’s Aroaima location in Region 10 and were told that a task force led by Minister Broomes will be established to deal with the issues relative to the recent US sanctions on the parent company and the subsequent pulling out of transhipment company, Oldendorff, which is expected to end operation on June 5th.

Workers who spoke with the Guyana Chronicle following the meeting expressed their appreciation to the Government for fulfilling its promise to meet with them during the week as well as meet their union–Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union. (GB&GWU). “It is a great relief that the ministers took time out of their busy schedule to come up here to deal with the issue because we were like ‘fish out of water’, not knowing what tomorrow holds because we weren’t told anything by Management since this whole thing bus out,” one worker said.

Another worker, Elymawell Barkoye, posited that the meeting was a fruitful one and he left satisfied knowing that things will get better now and that the government has their best interest at heart. “I believe that things will sort out itself now and get back to normal. The ministers met with us and we got to voice our concerns and they listened and hopefully things will get better for us,” Barkoye said.

The ministers would have met with Union representatives on Monday and said that matters arising out of that meeting will be taken to cabinet. The workers also revealed that all operations at Rusal are back to normal but the company is still facing a challenge purchasing fuel with Guyana currency, since it was always done with US currency. The good news, however, is that the US reduced the sanction on RUSAL after realising that it will also affect thousands of workers such as the 500 working in Region 10. The US Treasury Department also extended the period during which companies could keep trading with RUSAL by almost five months. The Government also announced that there are other companies interested in replacing Oldendorff.

Saving jobs
Meanwhile, Trotman is quoted by the Department of Public Information as telling the workers: “We are here to assure you that we are not going to see your jobs just go aside. We are going to be fighting.”

He announced that a task force headed by Broomes will be leading this effort. A proposal was made to Cabinet on Tuesday to establish the task force which would address the “crisis that could come” and address general company workers relations. Last week the United States Treasury Department announced the sanctions against RUSAL which would effectively ban the company from conducting business in American currency. The sanctions were to take effect in June but this week the Treasury Department announced it is pushing back the deadline to October 23 to give American companies time to wind down business with RUSAL.

The task force is a cautionary measure and includes Finance Minister Winston Jordan; Members of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira and Audwin Rutherford; General Secretary of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU), Lincoln Lewis; and the Department of Labour. “Rusal, the company, the management and its workers have to find a way to work together to save this industry. The government of Guyana has a duty to stand and work with you to save your jobs,” Minister Trotman said.

Minister Broomes also gave assurances to workers that the task force will work in their best interest. “Just know the reason for the task force is not[to just] sit down and take information, but to come with solutions,” Minister Broomes said.
GB&GWU’s General Secretary, Lewis, echoed the calls for collaboration between workers and the company to further the task of the force’s work. “It is for you to give the government the mandate as to the way forward. The government representatives … have made the point that the government is not prepared to leave you in the wilderness but to stand with you,” he said.

Managing Director of BCGI, Valerii Vinokurov, explained that the mining operations had halted operations following the announcement of the sanctions. Rusal Guyana will now resume work after being stalled for some 10 days. He added that contractor, Oldendorff Carriers, will also continue its work with the company.

Additionally, BCGI is working with the Bank of Guyana to open accounts in Euro currency to continue operations, “I want to assure you there is nothing to be afraid of. Rusal company is not going anywhere; we will continue to work and produce here in Guyana,” Vinokurov assured through a translator.