-says Min. Ally; union to take legal actions

RUSSIAN-owned Bauxite Company, RUSAL has been “totally” disrespectful to the Government, said Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, one day after the company submitted proposals to normalise the situation created by the sacking of workers.

Government was called in to quell the situation because the company and Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union (GB&GWU) have been at odds for more than a week, after RUSAL declared that it has not been making profits in recent years and will be closing sections of its operations, while laying off 30 workers to add to the 61 it had previously fired.

Over the past week Government has been meeting with the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers’ Union (GB&GWU) and RUSAL to discuss a way forward but, RUSAL continues to delinquent. “We had made four small demands of RUSAL and today none seem to be successful, as a matter of fact what has been happening is that RUSAL is making demands of us,” said Minister Ally in an invited comment following a meeting between the union and the ministry on Wednesday.

Minister Ally had lobbied for reinstatement of the fired workers; she made it clear that government’s main interest is to protect the rights of its citizens. Ally said instead of respecting workers and recognising the union, RUSAL has been making demands for the river to be unblocked.

The workers had blocked the river at Aroraima where the company’s bauxite-laden barges have to pass to go to the transshipment station for loading on ocean-going vessels.
RUSAL has since been calling for the river to be unblocked but has refused to meet with the union, saying that there will no meeting unless GB&GWU’s General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis is absent.

“This is something we will not tolerate from RUSAL at all…I said in my first engagement with the company that they are very unreasonable and Government is not going to allow that,” said Minister Ally.

In light of the continuous disrespect, she said Government will be considering a step further and examining the pros and cons before making an announcement on how they will proceed.

Lewis, however, in an invited comment hinted that there could be possible legal actions against RUSAL. “The minister has said that she intends to take the matter to a higher level not politically but higher, operating within the confines of the laws of this land,” said the veteran trade unionist.

In the interim, the union will stand by and observe as the minister examines all the options, he said, noting that the Government and the union will continue to work together.

Lewis said the union will be recalibrating their strategy and rather than operating in Georgetown, the union will be moving to the site at Aroraima where they will be taking further action.

“There was no collective agreement since 2009 and there are lots of matters pending so we need to sit at a table and iron out the issues after which we will move to the next step,” said President of the Guyana Trade Union Congress, Coretta McDonald.in a recent report.

MINISTER of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, had also ordered the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) to conduct a technical and legal assessment of all RUSAL operations and is hoping to have that report submitted to him at the earliest opportunity.