As workers face problems in oil sector, GAWU hopes to step up representation

GAWU’s President Seepaul Narine (eft) with resident General of the OWTU Ancel Roget after the new Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed (Photo: GAWC/ Facebook/ July 26, 2022)

Why this is necessary, he lamented, is because oil workers in Guyana already face issues that include employers’ unwillingness to pay overtime and to provide appropriate personal and protective equipment (PPEs).

Because these workers are not yet unioned, Narine explained that GAWU is largely dependent on the Ministry of Labour engaging the companies.

“In resolving issues of workers, one cannot depend on any Ministry of Labour whether the government is friendly to the contractor or not.

“It is only unionisation that will be able to take workers out of their difficulties,” Narine said however.

Another challenge in representing workers is that different hiring companies source workers on behalf of the contractors. As such, Narine said that it becomes complicated representing the workers.

These issues and more have already been experienced by workers in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), the President General of the OWTU Ancel Roget said during the signing ceremony. As such, he believes that the Trinidadian union is well able to aid GAWU’s efforts at stepping up representation.

“It stands to reason that with the recent development of the oil and gas sector in Guyana that they would turn to their brother union for advice, support, direction and training and development assistance on how to best have their workers, the people in Guyana, benefit from the resources of the land,” Roget stated.