Labour Ministry summons BCGI management to disccus the layoff of 288 workers

The Ministry of Social Protection’s Department of Labour, on Thursday afternoon, reportedly requested the management of Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI) to be present in a meeting on Friday to discuss the layoff of 288 employees last week.

Junior Minister of Social Protection Keith Scott has been harping that BCGI did not properly inform the Ministry about the layoff.

He said if the meeting on Friday yields no resolution, then the Chief Labour Officer would declare a deadlock and refer the dispute to no adjudication. Depending on this, the workers could be compensated, said Keith further.

142 workers sent home last week because the company could not receive tax concessions on fuel and the rest 146 being started sending from Thursday, as some workers continued to block the Berbice River and prevent the company’s barges from transporting bauxite indicate a hidden motive of Rusal-controlled BCGI, according to Keith.

Earlier Thursday, Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GBGWU) General Secretary Lincoln Lewis said, “The union wants a deadlock declared on the dispute and the issue referred to arbitration, the Labour Department to facilitate the mutually agreed appointment of the arbitrator, agreed terms of resumption, reinstatement of all workers without loss of pay, and compensation for two workers who were electrically-shocked.”

Lewis refused to share the blame that crisis increased because of the workers blocking the Berbice River and preventing the movement of bauxite to the transhipment station for loading to international cargo ships.