MINISTER of State, Joseph Harmon said the Task Force set up to address industrial relations issues, in the light of U.S.-imposed sanctions on the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) – a subsidiary of Russian Aluminum Inc. (RUSAL), is continuing its work.

At the Ministry of the Presidency on Monday, Harmon told the Guyana Chronicle that Cabinet expects clear recommendations that would guide how the company should treat with the more than 500 workers at its Aroaima, Region 10 worksite, in the event that it has to shut down its operations here. “We expect that before that deadline expires, we will have a memorandum coming to Cabinet with clear recommendations as to what needs to be done,” he posited.

The minister added: “you see, a document does not just arrive at the Cabinet, it has to be studied by a member of the Cabinet, a minister, and a memorandum, impact, and all of these issues that Cabinet should consider; all of these have to be part of a memorandum which accompanies the report of any committee that has been established.”

The Guyana Chronicle understands that an interim report completed by the Task Force was handed over to the Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman. In the interim report, the Task Force recommended that the workers be given a similar payment package that was applied by LINMINE, BERMINE and OMAI in the past. “Based on the decision of the companies to terminate their operations in Guyana, and since they have benefited from concessions given to the mining sector, they pay a similar package that was applied in the case of LINMINE in 1993 and onward, BERMINE in 2002 and onward, and OMAI Gold Mines in 2004, which means that the minimum pay for each year of service shall be equivalent to six weeks for each year of service to the maximum of two years’ pay in benefits,” the task force recommended in its interim report.

According to the report, workers’ representation by the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) and People’s United and General Workers Union (PU&GWU) at BCGI and Oldendorff Carriers, respectively, has been fraught with challenges. As such, a recommendation has been made for Compulsory Arbitration in keeping with the Labour Act.
Minister Trotman, while not acknowledging that he is in receipt of the interim report, told this newspaper last week, that a report would be submitted to Cabinet soon. RUSAL BCGI has indicated to its managers that mining and shipping of bauxite at its Region 10 location would come to a halt from October 1, 2018.