| Workers at the Bosai Bauxite Plant in Linden, yesterday, downed tools to signal theirThe striking Bosai workers in Linden yesterday.dissatisfaction with several issues, but especially to protest what they consider to be the inadequate increase, being proposed by Management.The strike action is expected to continue today.Brandishing placards with slogans such as ‘Six percent na mek it’, ‘Cost of living gone up, but money gone down’, ‘Robert disrespect Guyanese’, ‘enough is enough’, ‘We have produced’ and ‘Bosai have dictators’, workers congregated outside of the Company’s Northgate, from as early as 6:00 hours yesterday.Secretary of the Linden branch of the National Association of Agricultural Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) Aggrey Darlington said that the workers are protesting the six percent increase being offered by Management, and the fact that Management has told workers that they will not be receiving any bonus this year.According to Darlington, workers are demanding 8.5 percent, but the Union had sought to negotiate for at least 7.5 percent. However, Management is adamantly sticking to the proposed six percent.He added that set production targets are almost met, so the position being taken by Management is unreasonable.“Things are going up in the shops, so we need something more to cushion the escalating prices.We’re going to be contacting management through our President Mr Kenneth Joseph, on this matter.Orin Ticshmaker, Vice Chairman of NAACIE Linden Branch, said that there is a general feeling of dissatisfaction among workers.“We have a structure set out, that is why we can demand our bonus. So if you set up a structure, and if we can achieve our targets and then you gonna tell us that we can’t receive our bonus, then something has to be wrong.”Ticshmaker said that workers are afraid to voice their concerns, because they fear victimization,China Jerseys, and added that the Union is not being respected by Management.He said that if a worker refuses to carry out an instruction, because of concerns for his own safety, in the absence of certain safety requirements, that worker would be victimized.He drew attention to appalling conditions that workers are forced to work under in the mines, and asked that relevant stakeholders, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the Regional authorities and Minister Robert Persaud look into these concerns.Ticshmaker also noted that the company presently has no proper ambulance to deal with cases of emergencies. |
