…vows to protect workers’ rights, bring redress in shortest possible time
…calls on company to take steps mitigate further distress

Government, on Tuesday, described Troy Resources Guyana Inc’s decision to dismiss 375 of its workers as “drastic and unconscionable.

The management of the Australian-owned gold mining company, due to financial challenges, took the decision to terminate the services of all of its laid off employees on Sunday. The announcement, however, was made on Monday via ‘memo.’ Severance pay is expected no later than Friday.

The dismissal of the more than 300 workers came up for discussion when Cabinet met on Tuesday. “Cabinet is most distressed by the action taken by Troy Resources and considers the dismissal as drastic and unconscionable, particularly at this time when we are heading into the Christmas season. It came without reasonable notice being given to the workers, their union or the ministries of Social Protection and Natural Resources,” A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government said in a statement.

Cabinet is now calling on Troy Resources to take all measures to ensure that its action does not bring further distress to workers and their families. Given the serious implications of the decision taken by Troy Resources, Cabinet has appointed a sub-committee to further examine the matter and engage the Australian Company with a view to reactivating its mining operations expeditiously.

“Cabinet empathises with the affected workers and assures each of them that it will take steps to protect their rights and to bring redress in the shortest possible time,” the Government said.

Weighing in on the matter, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman said he and the Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally briefed Cabinet on the termination of the workers by the mining company.

Minister Trotman said while Government and Troy Resources were in active discussion, Government was unaware that the company would terminate the services of the over three hundred workers who were laid off of work during the last six weeks of the year.
“We believe that the action taken by the company, of course, is precipitous,” Minister Trotman said while adding, “we are most disappointed I have to say, I don’t believe we were given sufficient notice of this action, both ministers did engage the company’s management last week and none of us had a sense that this was going to happen.”
Iterating Government’s disappointment, he said “every door has been opened to the company for them to resume operations in a shorter time; we have made that possible for them.”

He too assured that the Government will continue engaging the company about early restarting and bringing back all workers laid off. “This is not the time of the year that we should see workers going home, they have homes, its Christmas,” he noted.

Hours after Troy Resources broke the news to its workers, the union for the employees, the People’s United and General Workers Union (PU&GWU), said it was alarmed at the company’s decision to terminate employees without giving it notice.

“The Union wrote them earlier this month asking to meet for discussions. There’s nothing that is surprising to the Union; we were conscious that the next move that they would’ve come with would’ve been to pay severance,” GTUC’s Lincoln Lewis said, adding: “The termination of employment and severance pay law says that the Union has to be given one month’s notice, and the list of names and classification of the people that would be sent home. None of that was done.”

According to Troy Resources, it intends to restart operations and rehire the affected workers.

“It is expected that ‘Troy’ will go back to rehiring employees, as needed, for a start-up in the near future, and hopes most current employees will be available and willing to return to work,” the ‘memo’ read. It then goes on to say, “In the meantime, ‘Troy’ continues with exploration work, repairs to the processing plant, and securing the assets. The success after restart is heavily dependent on team work, open communication, and the understanding that we all need to pull together to make it work.”

During a media visit to the company’s Karouni sites last Thursday, management said it was costing the company some US$40,000 per day to continue in its suspended state, which began since October 12. Guyana’s Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act 14 (1) gives employers the option to lay off employees for a period not exceeding six weeks.
Notwithstanding reportedly outperforming its September gold production target by 1395 ounces, and plans to start mining a small test pit at Ohio Creek, the company said it was hard-hit since operations were suspended.

Following the October 8 death of Ryan Taylor, one of its geologists at its “Hick’s Extension” mine in Karouni, Troy Resources laid off all but 137 of its employees, on the pretext of complying with a directive from Minister with responsibility for Labour, Keith Scott.
Scott’s ‘cease-work order’ was rescinded by Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally on October 15, but the company chose to remain closed instead. Following Taylor’s death also, investigations were launched by the Occupational Health and Safety (OH&SD) Department and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). Despite all investigations and reports have been completed, none of them have been released.

Guyana’s Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act 14(1) gives employers the option to lay off employees for a period not exceeding six weeks. A decision on the way forward for the company had been expected following a meeting between the executives and their Australian principals last Sunday night. Notwithstanding reportedly outperforming its September gold production target by 1395 ounces, and plans to start mining of a small test pit at Ohio Creek, the company said it was hard hit since operations were suspended.