AS the government continues to show its support for workers laid off by the Russian-owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI), the Ministry of Social Protection (MoSP) is putting measures in place to ensure that students in the affected communities receive transportation to get to school.

Speaking with the press after the launch of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) manifesto, Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally, noted that BCGI, a subsidiary of global aluminum giant RUSAL, has ceased transportation services in the communities.

“RUSAL withdrew transportation for the children who go to Mapletown School and I have made arrangements for a bus, unfortunately it will take 6 weeks to come. Meanwhile we will look for a gap arrangement for those children to get to school,” Ally explained on Friday.

As part of its operations, the company provided transportation in and around the remote communities in the vicinity of its Kurubuka operations, which included the Mapletown Aroaima community owned by the company.

This development comes after the Minister and her team met the laid-off workers at the Kwakwani Recreational Centre on Thursday, where she assured them that the government would not rest until the issue was resolved.

Minister Ally also distributed several food hampers during her engagement with the workers.

It was on February 2, that RUSAL had announced that it had laid off 326 workers, relocated expatriate employees and suspended its operations in the Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice Region.

The company subsequently began paying the workers severance and other benefits, which needed to include an extra one month’s pay given that the company did not give the workers notices prior to termination.

The Department of Labour has since written the company for a spreadsheet showing the breakdown of payments made to each worker, to verify that workers were paid amounts that they were entitled to.

“We are in the process of checking to see what money was lodged, whether it was accurate and so on. It is taking some time to get all the information [but] we want when we speak, to be able to speak authentically about the matter,” Minister Ally said.
Ally last met with representatives of the company on February 2, when the company announced the termination, while the company last met with DoL on February 7.
The DoL continued to lobby for the rehiring of the workers. However, the company did not commit, and would only say that they would consult their principals before coming to a decision.

“Let us hear what RUSAL has to say first… it’s a process and we need to hear what RUSAL has to say. Meanwhile we are not giving up on the workers and the workers understand that,” Ally said.

However, Ally said that no timeline has been set for when the company will get back to the Ministry.

The workers and their Union – the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GBGWU) – are convinced, however, that the company is closing down its operations.

Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) confirmed that last week BCGI, paid over taxes and shipped out a number of pieces of equipment from the country. The company has not responded to an email on the situation.

Nonetheless, the workers are firm that they do not want the company returning unless it is ready to respect workers’ rights and deal with their Union. The company and the Union have a longstanding quandary over an increase in salary for the workers. The workers have blocked the Berbice River since the company laid off 142 workers on January 23.

They are refusing to remove the blockage until the company agrees to let the salary negotiations move to arbitration, a system whereby an independent tribunal will decide a final resolution to the issue.