Labour Ministry flags Indian logging company for inadequate employees’ living conditions, other violations

Mar 18, 2021 News

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, and the OHS and Labour Officers during their inspection exercise. (Photo Credit: DPI)

Kaieteur News – As the Ministry of Labour continues to roll out its Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) campaign to ensure maximum compliance across all sectors countrywide, an Indian logging company, Vaitarna Holdings Private Incorporated, which is located in Wineperu, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) has been flagged for inadequate living conditions for employees and some health and safety violations.
Speaking with Kaieteur News yesterday, the Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, said that workers and their families share one-bedroom living quarters, children included, and that he was shocked “when these apartments were referred to as logies.”
The company’s violations were flagged following a visit to the worksite, which was conducted by Minister Hamilton; Labour Officer, Roydon Croal; Senior OHS Officer, Johana Vaughn, and Senior Labour Officer (ag), Mr. Prandatt Basdeo, on Monday, March 15 last. The company was given a reminder of its mandate as it relates to the safeguarding of workers’ rights. However, the specific health and safety regulations that were violated were not listed.
This publication learnt that where breaches are found, the Labour Ministry will be working alongside the company to ensure all OHS and labour regulations are complied with.
“My officers also visited several public sector and private sector entities. Both issues, Labour Relations and OHS were discussed, where there were breaches, officers indicated same and asked entities to put themselves in order,” Hamilton also disclosed.

The flagged employees’ “living quarters”. (Photo Credit: DPI)

According to the Minister, follow-up visits will be made in “three months time” to ensure the highlighted breaches were remedied.
Hamilton had also revealed to this newspaper that the campaign which is being conducted by his Ministry would have begun over a month ago with the intent of ensuring works being conducted are done in a safe manner in both the private and public sectors across all 10 administrative regions in Guyana.
On March 6 last, a team of OHS officers conducted a site visit at a building in Charlestown, following reports of construction breaches carried out by a private contractor. It was said that persons working on the building were not attired with any safety gear and no site management was set up to prevent persons from entering the work zone.
An order was given by the Ministry to halt the construction until the necessary safety gears are acquired for the workers and when the team returned to the construction site, the workers, six climbers and two ground workers, were examined individually. Upon their inspection, it was found that the climbers had their minimum mandatory personal protective equipment.
Hamilton noted that when OHS breaches are found, warnings will be given and the employer will be asked to remedy same. However, there has been no mention of a penalty for further non-compliance.
Additionally, the Ministry is still engaged in procedures for the hiring of more OHS and labour officers, which will see a faster rollout of the campaign and will also remedy the very low number of officers countrywide. In some regions, there is only one officer.