Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 05, 2011 News
Workers attached to Guyana Sandport Inc. and it sister companies, JB Ming and JB Metals, yesterday protested against what they described as an attempt to disrupt their livelihood by a Brazilian businessman.
The workers have been severely affected by a court action brought by the businessman Rodrigo de Paula, who along with a gang of about 30 persons, including members of the Presidential Guard, reportedly attempted to halt the operations at the company’s Coverden, East Bank Demerara’s location.
The disgruntled workers also protested the delay by the police in instituting charges in relation to the damage to the company’s property, including a conveyor system to load sand onto barges, during an invasion by de Paula and his accomplices.
Police had arrested several persons including de Paula and eight members of the Presidential Guard, but the Brazilian is currently on $50,000 station bail, while the guards are on open arrests.
Yesterday, scores of persons mainly from the Upper East Bank of Demerara who are solely dependent on the facility for employment openly backed de Paula’s former business partner Joseph Bhaskaran.
Although Bhaskaran and his servants have been barred from entering and operating the facility, the workers remain steadfast in their loyalty to him and have described his former partner in the business as the pariah.
Operational Manager of the facility, Balkissoon, said that he is appalled that nothing has happened to de Paula and his cohorts.
“No Brazilian, no one can come and take away our bread and butter, we will stand to the end of it, even if we have to go town,” he said.
Although he praised the police for their swift response, he still cannot understand why there has been no action against de Paula so far.
Another worker said that he has three children to maintain and with the facility being put under the pressure of the court, he is at his wits’ end as to how to provide for his family.
“We want to keep on working,” the worker stated.
Another worker said that he is scared, especially since the persons who were involved are members of the presidential guard.
“I have bills to pay and I have expenses just like everybody else, and I am concerned about being unemployed at the moment and would like to know when this will end,” the worker said.
The employees all agreed that having built the facility from scratch, they will defend it to the last.
Bhaskaran, who was also at the protest, expressed fear for his life and those of his family and workers, who he said have been made to suffer as a result of the action taken by his former partner.
Rodrigo de Paula, for his part, maintains that he is the owner, and that his actions to disable the conveyor were legal.
But according to the Chairman of the Soesdyke/Coverden Neighbourhood Democratic Council, Grant Stewart, the business has been the backbone of the community and to shut it down will be a disaster.
“If this place should close it will create a negative impact on the community,” Stewart said.
They are all hoping that the matter is resolved in a way that will allow them to get back to work to provide for their families especially before the new school year begins.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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