THE Ministry of Labour this year recovered the sum of $25.6 M from employers who had violated the rights of workers and handed this sum over to the victims as redress.

The imposition of fines on errant employers and compensation to workers had arisen out of complaints of unfair acts by employers, including  wrongful dismissal; dismissal without compensation; failure to observe the one-week notice for termination of services; failure to pay workers for their leave at the end of the work period; and  failure to pay overtime pay .
This was one of the disclosures made by Minister of Labor Human Services and Social Security Dr Nanda Kishore  Gopaul in  a  comprehensive report on  the Ministry’s  achievements and successes in 2012, and some of its plans for 2013.
The venue was the boardroom of the Ministry at Water Street, Stabroek, and he was flanked by Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Mrs. Lorene Baird; Secretary of the Board of Industrial Training Mr. Roderick Nurse; Chief Labour Officer Mr. Charles Ogle; and Chief Co-operatives Development Officer/ Registrar of Friedly Societies Mr. Kareem Abdul –Jabar.
He disclosed too that the industrial relations climate during the year had been relatively calm, seeing a drastic decrease in strike activity in the country, especially in the sugar industry.
There had, however, been an increase in industrial accidents, largely due to the proliferation of activities in the mining industry in particular, he said.
The success stories included the eradication of  child labour on the coastland and progress in the elimination of this problem in the hinterland ;  a reduction of Trafficking in Persons  ; success in training and welfare programmes for youths and single parents; and capacity-building in Occupational Health and Safety among workers in the mining, forestry and fishery sectors.
Minister Gopaul disclosed that during 2012, the ministry had investigated 953 complaints of varying kinds by employees working in different establishments in the country.
These had been investigated and many resolved  with compensation for the aggrieved employee.
The ministry however filed 34 charges against 14 such  employers,  and these matters are now  before the courts.
Sixteen collective labour agreements between employers and trades unions had been  countersigned by the ministry and lodged at the ministry during the course of the year.
Ministry officials visited 1311 workplaces to ensure that there was compliance with  labour laws .
Minister Gopaul disclosed that many of the businesses inspected had been small businesses, and the ministry had found that there had almost been total compliance in many of them in terms of  occupational health and safety practices and other rules  governing labour
With respect to child labour, he lamented that  this was one of the areas in which the ministry was doing a great deal of work, but was not receiving enough credit.
He said that all the ministry’s visits to many business places did not uncover a single instance of child labour.
He stressed that the ministry is vigilant and can now safely say that it has worked towards the eradication of child laboir on the coastland and  was working vigorously in the hinterland areas to bring an end to that scourge.
He said that the ministry was also regarding its activities against taffficking in persons as another success story, thanks to the ongoing vigilance of the Human Services and Social Security section of the ministry.
In terms of industrial action, he said that there was a reduction of strikes from 221 in 2011, in the main in the sugar industry, to 137 in 2012 .
Of the 137,131 were in the  sugar industry, and six of small duration in the  Demerara Timbers Limited,  the Mayor and City Council and the University  of Guyana, with the only entity in the state sector being the Bureau of Statistics which had a periodic sit-in exercise.
“All of these activities were  of short duration, and so I believe that as we move forward, we are going to see a reduction in industrial action, because we are working  more and more to  resolving industrial disputes before  they reach the stage where  protest actions  are taken,” he said.
Minister  Gopaul reported that 738 industrial accidents had occurred during the year, with 12 fatalities: six in the  mining industry , four in the fisheries and one in the forestry sector.
Reports for the fatal accidents have been submitted and these are being looked at to determine whether prosecution may be necessary.
He disclosed, as another success story for the ministry, that at the training level, the Board of Industrial Training  (BIT) had certified  65 apprentices as artisans in  instrument repair mechanics, heavy duty mechanics, industrial electricians, auto electricians, fitter machinists, sugar boilers and welder/fabricators.
A total of 67 youths have been registered to  commence training  at various apprenticeship  institutions,  such as GUYSUCO Port Mourant , the Guyana Power and Light, and the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) for the long-term apprenticeship programme.
Under the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE), a total of 1161 youths were registered for training in two phases. In Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10, a total of 977  successfully completed their training under phase 1 and are graduating in December 2012.
From the second NTPYE phase, 184 trainees who commenced training during the month of October are expected to complete their training during the first quarter of next year.
With respect to the Single Parent Training Programme, from a total of 412 training places offered, there are 386 trainees currently pursuing  training under  the Single Parent Training Programme in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10.
The training comprises courses in cosmetology, catering, garment construction, child care,   care for the elderly , heavy duty equipment operation, drivers/salesmen  and information technology .
Based on applications received, two companies from the private sector ,  Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL) and CARICOM Rice Mills Ltd. were granted licences  by the Board of Industrial Training to receive and train apprentices.
He said that overall,  the Ministry of Labour Human Services and Social Security  had had a very successful year, and hoped to make 2013 another equally productive one.
Plans for 2013 include a workshop with stakeholders Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA); National Insurance Scheme (NIS); Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC); and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC)   to actively pursue the issue of Occupational Health and Safety.
The ministry will, also in early 2013, introduce a  national minimum wage   below which no employer will be allowed to pay.
“This will be done so that our workers, especially those who are working in non-unionised entities, can be offered some form of protection and see an end to exploitation with respect to the wages they earn,” he said.