Burma Rice Station workers protest against ‘abusive’ manager

Workers of the Burma Rice Research Station in Mahaicony have staged a protest at “threatening” and “abusive” language from a manager towards them.

Following the recognition of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) by the workers earlier this year, they have been bitterly complaining of the attitude of the manager.

GAWU in a statement noted that these “serious concerns” regarding the manager were brought before the Station’s Management.

“They [workers] have shared that the manager, at times, has been most haughty to the workers. According to them, the manager, on some occasions, would speak to them in an abusive fashion which appeared to them to be threatening. The workers held that should the manager have a difficulty with them or their work, such interactions could be done in a respectful and civil manner and there was no need for boisterousness,” GAWU stated.

GAWU stated that during the meeting with the Station’s Management, it was advised that management intervene and speak to the manager about the accusations.

“Following the Union’s intervention, the Station informed that it had spoken to the manager about his conduct and that should difficulties arise these could be addressed by the senior management to avoid deteriorating relations between the workers and the management,” GAWU stated.

However, despite the intervention, the workers are claiming that the manager’s conduct has not changed.

GAWU reported that the situation escalated last week after the manager withheld payments from workers alleging they had not completed their tasks.

According to GAWU, the workers were not told that their wages would be withheld nor were they given an explanation.

“They only learnt of the manager’s decision when they went to uplift their wages last weekend. Our Union having learnt of the issue, immediately intervened and we learnt that an investigation was launched.”

The main rice research for the Guyana Rice Development Board is done at the Burma Rice Station.