Bosai conciliation talks set for Monday

Workers of the BOSAI Bauxite Mining Company have ended their recent strike following the intervention of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning.

Employees in Linden, Region Ten, had downed tools on Thursday to protest poor working conditions and to demand higher wages. They rejected the company’s proposed 7 per cent across-the-board increase, instead calling for a 10 per cent raise.

Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed visited the worksite on Thursday to hear the workers’ concerns. However, incoming PPP/C parliamentarian Dr. Peter Ramsaroop criticised Mohamed’s presence, arguing that the government is focused on solving people’s problems rather than engaging in what he described as agitation.

Later that day, Chief Labour Officer Dhaneshwar Deonarine convened a meeting between BOSAI’s management and representatives of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE). The talks culminated in the signing of a Terms of Resumption agreement, which brought the strike to an end.

Under the agreement, the union pledged to immediately call off the strike and ensure that all employees returned to work. Both sides also agreed that there would be no victimisation, with conditions restored to those existing before the strike.

Conciliation talks are scheduled for Monday at the ministry, where the parties are expected to address the underlying issues in pursuit of a fair and amicable settlement. In a statement, the ministry reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a stable industrial relations climate and welcomed the parties’ willingness to resolve their differences through dialogue.