Bermine's woes
Protest will intensify - Bynoe
Says concerns must be tangibly addressed
Stabroek News
May 28, 2002
The protest outside the Prime Minister's Main Street residence will continue and intensify until the genuine interests of the bauxite communities and workers are tangibly addressed and evidence of this is seen.
This was the response of the community and bauxite leaders through their spokesman, Philip Bynoe, to the joint statement issued by the government after a meeting of government and Bermine workers on Thursday and a letter to a delegation of activists outside the PM's residence. Prime Minister Sam Hinds, at his request, met the delegation on May 17.
Bynoe, in an invited comment, repudiated the joint release after the May 23 meeting pointing out that workers at that meeting were neither representatives of nor spokespersons for the communities. The representatives were encamped outside the Prime Minister's residence, he said.
He said that only the union, which has a legitimate agreement with Bermine, could speak on behalf of the workers at Bermine. One of the agreements reached was that workers who wished to voluntarily leave Bermine would receive severance benefits under the collective bargaining agreement reached with the union.
Bynoe explained that at the invitation of the President, conveyed to him through two senior police officers, he and a delegation of some 30 persons from Linden and ten from Kwakwani - turned up for the meeting at the Office of the President on Thursday. They left, he said, because they were disrespected.
He said the persons who remained behind were not members of his delegation and were known activists and members of the PPP/Civic who were brought in from Everton and Kwakwani. He added that none of them had been on the team leading the protest action that forced the government to convene the May 23 meeting.
Meanwhile, in the response to the concerns raised with him by the community and union activists on May 17, Prime Minister Hinds said that the government saw a strategic role for small loggers in the Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice (Region Ten) and was considering reviewing the relevant laws and regulations in the forestry sector to provide the legal arrangements appropriate for them and their associations. As a result, small loggers are being given preference to acquire existing leases of land in the case of default as well as being granted leases to areas closest to the bauxite communities, which are still available. The eight-member team from the community and union activists encamped outside his Main Street residence included Bynoe, Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union's president, Charles Sampson, parliamentarian and former Linden Mayor an, Abdul Kadir, and GB&WU representative at Kwakwani, Wendy Carter.
In a letter addressed to "the Group of Eight" the Prime Minister acknowledged the delay in responding to their concerns and explained that the laws and regulations were based on the model of large operations but that "consideration is being given to the amendments in law and regulations which would provide a sound legal basis for arrangements appropriate for small loggers and their associations."
He said that much of the forest close to the bauxite communities had been assigned decades ago and that it would not be proper for government to just take back the land, but it had sought by "oral persuasion to seek such accommodation as possible from existing holders voluntarily conceding portions of land, granting excess to mature trees by retaining small loggers as contracted self-employed workers cutting [for] the TSA holder or purchasing trees for their own processing and sale."
However, he said that there have been complaints that some small loggers who have not been operating within the law and observing their obligations under the arrangements. The Prime Minister also acknowledged that "the Region Ten small loggers association can play a significant role in providing self employment and a basis for small- and medium-sized enterprises as the widening and diversification of the economic base in Region Ten is sought."
And on a related issue about the availability of an allocation for agriculture in the regional budget, the Prime Minister acknowledged that there was none as the budget process had been "recentralised" but the Ministry of Agriculture "would have the plans for Region Ten reviewed and adjusted in the light of whatever emerges."
About the question of Bermine's access to the loading basin to which Viceroy Shipping has been granted exclusive access, the Prime Minister said "efforts are continuing for BIDCO, Bermine, ABC, Viceroy, Alcoa to reach agreement on conditions for Bermine and Alcoa to have third party access to the transshipment station with adequate protection of ABC/Viceroy against a number of possible jeopardies." He said he expects that it should be known within a week whether agreement has been reached or not.
However, the joint statement issued after the meeting with President Bharrat Jagdeo and the workers from Everton and Kwakwani on Thursday said the "Bermine Board will meet on Friday to ratify a proposal from Viceroy Shipping to allow third party ships continued use of the mooring facilities in the Berbice River."
The Prime Minister explained that even before the events which led to the shut down of the Kwakwani operations, the BIDCO Board had unanimously recommended the appointment of a small team to do a swift evaluation of Bermine. He said that a preliminary report which was submitted to him, "identifies the need to address the issue of reduced market demand which is not likely to improve before the end of 2004," the issue of current creditors and liabilities of Bermine, recognises the hardships the bauxite communities, particularly Kwakwani, faces, and discusses a number of options. The Prime Minister said he expected the report within two weeks.
However, the May 23 meeting agreed that the government would takeover the provision of a number of social services, such as water, electricity, schools and health and the provision of social safety net benefits, which Bermine should provide.
About the provision of US$300,000 for the rehabilitation of the calciner at Everton and money to satisfy creditors so that the local contractors could stay on the job, Prime Minister Hinds did not respond. With respect to the provision of US$1.5 million to rehabilitate the calciners at Linden, he said that the cost given by Linmine was US$700,000. He said that work on the calciners was in progress, financed from Linmine and government revenues. He disclosed too that a memorandum of understanding with Cambior about its participation in Linmine "is now essentially ready for signing."
About the need for a strategic plan for the industry, the Prime Minister said "the need to plan for the diversification of economic activity has been recognised and government welcomes participation in these important considerations."
About the provision of capping for use in road construction, by ABC free of cost to contractors as claimed by Sampson, the Prime Minister said that it was being sold by ABC and that ABC has been asked "to ensure that it is not engaging in unfair competition with Bermine for building materials."
About concerns over the execution of contracts at Linden, the Prime Minister said the ministers responsible would welcome information and/or discussions about the exploitation of government contracts, since these were awarded on a competitive bidding process that included the price of materials. The team had raised concerns about contracts acquiring supplies of sand, loam and bauxite readily and cheaply in Linden when compared with other areas.
He also indicated that GUYWA was investigation allegations of high coliform count in the water at Linden and was seeking a meeting with community leaders to work through the issue.