Three bauxite Unions deplore transshipment embargo
THE three Unions representing workers in the bauxite industry have expressed strong disapproval of an embargo placed by the Aroaima Bauxite Company (ABC), on the Berbice Mining Enterprise's access to the transshipment facility. The Unions, the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU); the National Mining and General Workers Union (NM&GWU and the Guyana Mining and Metal Workers Union (GM&MWU), said they view the move as an "attempt to sabotage the economy of Guyana and the livelihood of Guyanese". As such, they have warned that "unless BERMINE is granted fair and reasonable access to the transshipment facility, the Unions will take such action as they deem necessary to correct this situation." The Unions noted too, that as a major shareholder of ABC, the Government of Guyana has a duty to utilise its undoubted influence to prevent, what is in effect, "a blatant attempt to injure a valuable asset which it holds in trust on behalf of the people of Guyana". According to a release, the Unions say that at a time when opportunity appears to be opening for the long-term recovery of BERMINE, they "detect the hand of a bauxite company which is partially owned by a foreign entity behind the efforts to sabotage that recovery effort." The Unions said that ABC, which is jointly owned by the Government of Guyana and Reynolds Metal Company, "using its control of the Berbice Deep Water Shipping Facility, has placed an embargo on the use of the facility by BERMINE, effectively restricting the transshipment of its bauxite and placing export of the Company's products in extreme jeopardy." They believe that the motive behind the sinister move by ABC is "to undermine a proposed joint venture acquisition of BERMINE by the management and workers of the Company in collaboration with another foreign entity. "More specifically, ABC's embargo on BERMINE's access to transshipment facility is intended to "soften up" the Company for a possible take-over by ABC under the current privatisation process," the release added. It further stated that, "the embargo, which remains in place for at least the second quarter of 2000, renders BERMINE unable to guarantee the export of its products to overseas markets in the short-term, seriously compromising the future of the Company and the welfare of its 500-odd workers and their families." The embargo, the release added, has been imposed despite recent representation made to President Bharrat Jagdeo, by the Unions representing workers in the mining sector. The Government of Guyana is a 50 per cent shareholder in ABC. The Unions meanwhile say they are aware that subsequent to their meeting, President Jagdeo wrote to Mr Randolph Reynolds, Vice President of the United States-based Reynolds Metal Company, which owns the other 50 per cent of ABC. "It does not appear that President Jagdeo's intervention has persuaded Reynolds to relent in its hostility to BERMINE," they added. The Berbice Deep Water Shipping Facility, while under the control of ABC, was established in 1996 for the purpose of enabling an increased volume of exports of bauxite, timber and other products from Guyana. (Wendella Davidson)
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