THE Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region 10 has stepped in to assist RUSAL workers who are on strike in Aroaima. According to a release, the matter was voted upon at the March statutory meeting, where all councillors unanimously posited that the workers should receive strike relief since most of those affected by RUSAL’s termination are from communities in Region 10.

Donations of rice, sugar, flour, oil, milk, biscuits, peas and other food-related materials are made available to the workers.
Regional Chairman Renis Morian said the RUSAL situation is a sad one and the entire Region 10 feels for the affected workers. He, however, pledged, along with his RDC councillors, to stand firmly behind and weather the storm with them.

“I will not allow under my watch, workers who are being taken advantage of and being blatantly disrespected, especially by a foreign company being allowed to go without our assistance. As the Regional Chairman of Region 10, it is my duty to lend whatever assistance that we can provide, as Linden is not only Region 10 and therefore Kwakwani also forms part of this region and together we will help,” he said, according to the release.

Being very vocal at the meeting was Councillor Charles Sampson, who is also a veteran trade unionist. The release said that Sampson described the current set of RUSAL managers as unfair and seem bent on dismissing anyone who attempts to challenge them with regards to wage and working conditions.

He said it is clear that RUSAL has no respect for the labour laws of Guyana and government would have to make a determination as to how long they would allow RUSAL to continue disrespecting and breaking these labour laws.
Over the next few days, the RDC will be monitoring closely the situation.

“What I would add is that we, the people of Region 10, have taken too much from RUSAL, as it is not the first time that they fired workers because they had strike, this occurred in 2007 as Councillor Charles Sampson had pointed out and they got away with it, but this time it’s a different story. What we would like government to do is allow us to deal with them because we have simple, straight forward strategies as no company, irrespective of how big or significant that company is, will be allowed any more to come into this region and feel that the people of Region 10 can be taken advantage of as the RDC Region 10 will show them what we are capable of doing,” an evidently frustrated regional chairman said.

Morian related that the RDC will continue to lend valuable assistance to the workers as they seek to have their issues addressed in an amicable manner. It is now close to one month RUSAL workers have been participating in strike action. They promise to do so until the company engages the entire union.