Guyana: Indian Quarry Workers Miss Meeting at Labour Ministry, Company Reports

EKAA HRIM Earth Resources Management, an India-based company, reported that Indian nationals employed as laborers at the Batavia quarry in Guyana did not attend individual meetings at the Ministry of Labour. These meetings were intended to address grievances, settle outstanding payments, and discuss the workers’ potential return to India.

Company consultant Yoganand Persaud stated that the 38 workers remained outside the ministry instead of participating in the scheduled discussions with officials and company representatives. He expressed concern over the lack of communication with the workers, noting that they could not be reached by phone. Persaud indicated that engaging with them outside the ministry could have posed risks for company officials.

Persaud also raised concerns about the workers allegedly not receiving food and appealed to the Indian High Commissioner for assistance, claiming that the workers were not under the control of the ministry but rather under the influence of the Opposition Leader. When questioned about the workers’ travel expenses, Persaud referred to contractual obligations, suggesting that workers might be responsible for their own airfares if terminated for breaches or poor performance.

He explained that the terms of the employment contract included a 72-hour work week and the consolidation of salary and overtime into a single payment, which he stated was mutually agreed upon. Persaud clarified that the workers’ passports were not confiscated upon arrival in Guyana; instead, they had agreed to lodge their documents with management for safekeeping.

The company provided evidence of social security deductions being paid to the National Insurance Scheme and refuted claims that workers were barred from contacting their families, stating that they were providing internet services. Additionally, EKAA HRIM Earth Resources Management asserted that the food and accommodation provided were not substandard.

Persaud mentioned that the company filed a formal complaint with the Bartica Police Station regarding the alleged removal of workers from the quarry site by the Opposition Leader, noting that they were reported as missing.

Source: demerarawaves.com