Hinds intervenes in Berbice bauxite strike
Stabroek News
December 9, 2003
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds has intervened to try and settle a dispute between the management of Aroaima Mining Company and the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU).
Hinds's intervention is as a result of difficulties between the sides to sit and resolve their differences, which stem from the company's reported refusal to honour an agreement on wage increases.
Hinds, who has functional responsibility for mining, is believed to have had discussions with GB&GWU General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis, as well as Aroaima's management to bring closure to the 11-day-old strike at the Berbice River operations.
Meanwhile, the two sides, through the mediation of the Ministry of Labour, were expected to resume meetings yesterday afternoon to seek agreement on the Terms of Resumption (TOR).
Up to press time there was no word on the outcome of those discussions.
However, GB&GWU President, Charles Samp-son, said before the meeting that the company was continuing to play hardball on the issue while relying on casual workers to achieve production.
According to Sampson, the management prefers to pay large sums in demurrage fees for having vessels wait for ore rather than pay the five per cent increase as agreed following negotiations.
Stabroek News understands that management is currently paying some $250,000 per day in demurrage.
Sampson maintained that all the union wants is for management to honour its commitment to pay the five per cent increase for 2003, following which the union would be willing to sit and examine any proposal including that of restructuring.