– Says new gov’t must put end to delay in resolving six-year-old grievance

THE Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) is calling on the new administration to enforce the country’s Labour Act in a bid to resolve the dismissal of some 57 bauxite workers by the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) in 2009. General Secretary of the GTUC Lincoln Lewis, explained that the workers who were dismissed for demonstrating against bad work conditions, have been taken for granted for too long and the

union will not resolve the matter “behind closed doors” anymore.
Against this backdrop, Lewis called on the new government to step in and enforce the Labour Act to ensure workers, particularly at BCGI, are treated with dignity in a stable industrial environment.
“GTUC calls on [the] Cabinet Minister that has responsibility for Social Protection Ms. Volda Lawrence, to commence the process consistent with the authority vested in her under Section 4 (1) of the Labour Act Cap. 98:01,” charged Lewis.
The Labour Act seeks to ensure that the Department of Labour regulates the relationship between employers and employees and settle differences between them.
He said too that these workers had contributed significantly to the decline of votes cast on behalf of the PPP in the May 11 elections, since they would have vested their confidence in the APNU+AFC administration to ensure justice is delivered to them.
In 2010, the then People’s National Congress Reform had expressed no-confidence in the then Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir because of his failure to enforce the Labour Act.
“These workers are not begging for anything. These workers are demanding what the Constitution at Article 147 and the Trade Union and Recognition Act Section 23 (1) prescribes for them,” pointed out Lewis.
Sixty seven workers in May 2009 were suspended for refusing to work on faulty equipment, even though their action was consistent with the Occupation Health and Safety Law. In November the same year, 57 of those workers were dismissed for exercising their right that is consistent with Article 147 of the Constitution, which says persons have a right to protection from discrimination.
Among those workers dismissed is Lennox Smith, a dispatcher of BCGI, who was given a letter of termination while on his annual vacation leave.
“I don’t know what I get knock off for. I was a dispatcher and 63 pieces of equipment were under my control. The workers then could not stand working with faulty equipment so we all decided to raise our voices and when we did, we were dismissed,” said Smith.
Smith said that government has always given preference to the sugar and rice workers when they are plagued by problems and leave the bauxite workers out in the cold. With much anticipation, Smith said that the new administration should bring the dismissed workers justice by having their dues paid and also, possibly have them reinstated .