— pay the workers, Scott tells Rusal

MINISTER within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, has ordered the Russian bauxite company, RUSAL, to “stop beating around the bush” and pay outstanding overtime and tax-exemptions due to workers without further delay.

The order came amid a tense meeting with officials of the company on Thursday.
Tension was raised when representatives of the company were asked to sign a three-partied Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would clear the way for the employees to be paid what was owed to them since October, 2016.

One of the RUSAL representatives, Vladimir Permyakov said they were not in a position to sign the document without proper authorisation, but the minister went ahead and submitted an official letter to the company ordering the immediate payment of the workers.

The enraged Scott explained that the MoU was signed since October 2016 by the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union (GB&GWU) and Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, but due to “technical” issues, the company did not sign the agreement.
“For over one year the workers were expecting the union and the company to agree to have them receive their overtime and their deducted Income Tax in November, 2016 which government had agreed to have the company return to them,” Scott said.
He added that workers are suffering and they needed the extra cash, especially since the Christmas Season is nearby.

The minister asked the company to stop withholding the money and pay the workers, nothing that the union and government have agreed that the payment be made.
Permyakov said RUSAL has not been procrastinating on the payment, pointing out that it had a problem regarding recognition of the union. This issue was settled in October, 2017.
In addition, he said only a month ago the company found the legal basis to sign the MoU since prior to this time, it was sorting out its relationship with the bauxite union.

Scott however grew tired of this claim and reminded Permyakov and RUSAL’s Personnel Manager, Vladislav Savchenko that the company had agreed to make the payment when the MoU was crafted last year and that the money should have already been paid.
According to reports, in January, 2017 a group of employees representing the workers of RUSAL Guyana met GB &GWU executives in Linden and expressed the need for their tax-free overtime payment be dealt with urgently.

Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman had also said that when all the legal issues have been cleared up, the workers will be paid retroactively.
Minister Scott as such, made it clear to the Rusal representatives that the matter will not reach his office again, and he will not encourage them to approach him on the matter until the workers are paid.

Scott said there is no impediment which prevents the workers from receiving the money due to them and reiterated the need for the company to settle the issue by month-end.
Permyakov, however, held on to the claim that the company representatives could not sign the MoU as its managing director is out of the country and is expected to return in a few days.

He also pointed out that they were not informed that the purpose of the meeting was to sign the MoU, and if they were, they would have requested the Ministry to postpone the engagement until their managing director returns.

When asked about the next step, the RUSAL representative said they need to consult their principal and have no doubt that the payment will be made.
General Secretary of Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union, Lincoln Lewis, after listening to the discussion said the union does not intend on taking any further action against RUSAL.

He also believes the government is playing its role in ensuring justice for the workers.