Miners warned to pay labourers or risk losing concessions

GINA, GUYANA, Monday, February 6, 2017

Miners have been put on notice to pay their workers or risk losing out on concessions available to the mining sector. The warning was issued by Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes during a meeting with miners in Bartica, Region Seven over the weekend.

“The persons that operate these dredges they’ve got to ensure that they are compliant (or) these concessions that they are enjoying and the special benefits will stop,” Minister Broomes said.

The warning came after one labourer complained about non-payment from a miner he worked with. Minister Broomes pledged to look into the situation of labourers in the mining industry. “This year, I will come some days and work out of the office of Bartica so all these complaints that come in from persons who can’t travel to Georgetown and those in the riverian areas, they can come right there to meet with me,” Broomes told miners.

The Minister noted the difficulty in adequately resolving the issues raised by labourers since many do not have any documentation of their employment. She encouraged the labourers to obtain some form of documentation to prove that they are employed by the miners so as to avoid being short-changed.

While the Department of Labour under the Ministry of Social Protection is responsible for addressing labour issues, Minister Broomes is encouraging labourers to raise their concerns with the GGMC. “I will want to encourage that they go to the GGMC and I will have them to take in the complaints and so on to be addressed,” Minister Broomes said.

By: Tiffny Rhodius