A written proposal has been handed over to RUSAL for workers of the Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI) to receive a wage and salary increase from $335GYD to $572GYD minimum and from $655GYD to $1040GYD maximum. Such entries relate to the hourly rate.

The proposal was handed over on Friday by Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) which represents the workers. The union stated that it was not prepared to accept less than what had been proposed.

The company and union have been at odds for close to a decade, and the situation worsened recently when RUSAL fired a number of workers who had protested a meagre salary increase. The Russian-owned bauxite company, which owns 90 per cent of the BCGI, has received much heat from its workers who are still pushing for improvements such as vacation benefits, education allowances for workers and their families and more.
On Friday, the two parties met at BCGI with the Union represented by its General-Secretary, Lincoln Lewis; First Vice President, Ivan Leacock; Vice President, Garfield Brutus; Secretary, Leslie Junior; President, Ephraim Velloza and Advisor, Ramon Gaskin.
Meanwhile, BCGI was represented by RUSAL’s representative in Guyana, Vladimir Permyakov; BCGI’s Personnel Manager Mikhail Krupenin; Head of Administrative Unit, Savitri Basdeo and Interpreter, Artur Sayfullin.

According to the minutes coming out of the meeting, the parties have agreed that the annual wage and salary increases made previously by the Company are to be taken into consideration in the process of bargaining as it relates to retroactivity.

Lewis views the negotiations as a closer step towards achieving parity in the bauxite industry in Guyana. The negotiation was preceded by a grueling struggle for respect for the recognition by the employer of the union, even though the union was recognised by the Trade Union Recognition and Certification Board since May 2007.

While the union has been able to conduct its activities in an uninhibited atmosphere, workers are still anxiously awaiting the outcome of a new Collective Labour Agreement which is to be realised from the on-going negotiation.