…no concrete decision on reinstatement of fired workers

TWO executives from the Russian Bauxite company RUSAL, which owns the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc (BCGI), are expected to travel from Russia to Guyana to meet with the Department of Labour (DoL), Ministry of Social Protection, as the government seeks an early end to the industrial unrest that has seen the firing of some 61 employees on Monday.

The labour department is also expected to make an on-the-ground visit to the Kurubuka mining area, where the fired employees are said to still be occupying. This was the outcome of a meeting held on Tuesday between the department and local representatives BCGI.

Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle explained that the company has now been given two proposals to choose from, and the continuation of further deliberations awaits the arrival of the two executives from Russia. “Two executives are coming from Russia. The people have to come in first, I don’t know when they’ll reach. We’re waiting on the response from management; as soon as we get that response then we’ll take it from there. We have to go there on location based on the union’s complaints,” Ogle said, following the almost two-hour meeting with three representatives of the company.

Appearing on behalf of BCGI at the meeting was company representative Vladimir Permyakov, Personnel Manager Mikhail Krupenin, and company adviser Mohamed Akeel, himself a former chief labour officer.

Tuesday’s meeting follows a refusal by the company to attend an initial meeting on Monday between the DoL, the company, and the workers’ union, the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GBGWU). Some 61 employees were issued a collective termination notice on Monday after downing tools and beginning strike action last Friday, protesting the Russian management’s imposition of a one per cent wages increase. One employee has since been reinstated; however, the fate of the other 60 remains uncertain thus far.

“I don’t know, it depends on some compromising decision,’ was all that Permyakov would offer on the issue when asked if the company would be considering reinstatement of the fired employees.

BCGI’s position is that the contracts of the employees do not provide for them to be absent from work, not even in the case of a strike; and the company reiterated that it does not recognise the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GBGWU), which represents over 90 per cent of the company’s employees.

Ogle said the DoL position is that the GBGWU is the recognized workers’ Union; he referenced a 2017 poll, whereby some 93 per cent of the workers voted for GBGWU as their preferred union. “The union is the recognised union. I’m saying to you the GBGWU won that poll. I don’t know what they’re [BCGI representatives] saying,” Ogle said.
Notwithstanding Guyana’s constitution providing that “no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his or her freedom to strike”, Permyakov deemed the strike by employees last Friday as an “illegal action”. He believes the company was within its legal right to fire the workers

“Do you believe that our professional managers would terminate somebody without consulting contracts, rules and company limitations, I don’t think so. Very unfortunate that [it is] five days [since] this illegal action has started, it’s bad. Myself and company management feel unhappy with this unfortunate refusal of 60 workers to go to work, to perform their duties and abide by their own contractual obligations,” Permyakov said.
Permyakov submitted that the employees’ contracts superseded their right to strike. “How legitimate rights could be in opposition with the contracts, it couldn’t be, it’ not our practice. Strike is the worst form, it’s the conflict,” he said.

Nonetheless, Permyakov says he believes progress is being made towards a solution. “I feel very satisfied with my meeting with the team from Ministry of Social Protection. We had very open and frank interaction. I hope we shall find a solution, we shall find a compromise,” he said.

Permyakov also said that while much attention is being paid to the one per cent that the employees are being offered, it needs to be highlighted that over the five-year period from 2013 – 2018, the employees have enjoyed overall over 15 percent in salary indexation. The company has also outright denied allegations that over the years it has been arbitrarily dismissing and suspending employees, and cutting holiday and vacation benefits.