The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) on Tuesday refuted claims by representatives of its workers that it had failed to abide by the Terms of Resumption Agreement signed in November last year between the Commission and the Guyana Public Service Union, (GPSU) the union representing the workers.

In a statement issued to the media, the Commission stated that it has “honoured the terms and conditions of the signed Terms of Resumption Agreement and has worked assiduously and tirelessly to achieve amicable resolution to the issues.”
The press statement said that the Commission had noted that its staff with the support of the GPSU commenced industrial action on the issue of wage increases, even while the negotiations with the Management of the Commission are ongoing.

Chief Labour Officer in the Ministry of Labour, Mr. Charles Ogle, said that Management of the Commission, on Tuesday afternoon, had informed his office in writing about the industrial action. Ogle said that having been informed about the strike action his office has launched an investigation which includes reviewing the agreement signed last year and the subsequent action taken. Following the investigation the Ministry will be meeting with both parties in its effort to resolve the dispute.

Employees of the GGMC on Tuesday resumed protest action outside the Upper Brickdam office. They claimed that the action was as a result of the Commission’s failure to meet the deadlines agreed to between the union and the Commission following a Terms of Resumption Agreement signed between the two parties.

FEELING BETRAYED
Senior Industrial Relations Officer at the GGMC, Dennis English, defending the action taken by the workers said that the workers felt betrayed. He said that the Commission is in violation of the terms of resumption agreed to following the intervention of the Ministry of Labour when similar action was taken in November last year.

English explained that the workers had returned to work in November after being given the assurance that their concerns would be addressed within a given time frame. The union had proposed one month for the resolution of the workers’ concerns while the Board, he claims, had given assurance that the matters will be addressed before the end of its life.

English said that this time frame, according to their understanding, was to be before the end of the 2014 when the life of the Board would have expired. He said the time has passed and there is no indication that the agreement would be honoured as the documents for the payments promised were submitted to the relevant authorities and no word nor payment was forthcoming.

PROTEST ACTION
Jermaine Hermonstine, Industrial Relations Officer at the Commission, speaking on behalf of the workers said that the strike action will continue until the workers’ demands are met. He said that communication is being made with the workers in the field so that they too can take similar action in their continuing effort to have management honour the proposal the union had placed on the table following the resumption of work last year.

Workers at the GGMC had embarked on protest action on November 17, last demanding among other things a 35 percent pay increase for all workers. The GGMC had offered and paid an 8 percent across-the-board increase for all workers and had proposed that further remunerations for 2014 should be based on function and performance.
The Commission in its statement has reiterated the need for the workers to abide by the standing agreement between the GPSU and the Commission for the recognition, avoidance and settlement of disputes which clearly identifies the steps to be taken to resolve the current issues.
The Commission assured that all necessary measures and mechanisms will be instituted to ensure that the work of the Commission is not unduly disrupted by what it considers an illegal industrial action.