Linden Mayor and incoming parliamentarian Sharma Solomon has publicly commended the determination of more than 600 workers at Bosai Minerals Group Guyana, following the successful conclusion of conciliation talks that secured wage increases for 2025 and 2026. Last month, workers staged a strike demanding improved working conditions. However, with the intervention of the Ministry of Labour, the strike was suspended the same day, paving the way for negotiations between the workers’ union and the employer to address outstanding grievances.
In a powerful social media statement titled “Workers Deserve More!”, Solomon called the outcome a step forward—but emphasised that deeper reforms are urgently needed across the country’s labour sector.
Solomon commended local representative Mr. Lorenzo Joseph and his colleagues for their “courageous and steadfast efforts” in championing the workers’ cause. Their efforts, he said, “embodied the collective will of approximately 99% of the workforce to raise their voice—and be heard.”
Negotiations were held last Monday (September 27, 2025), after a series of strikes and stalemates. The process was tense, with workers facing a powerful company, a government often criticised for falling short on workers’ issues, and what Solomon described as “limited advocacy at a senior level” from the union, National Association of Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Employees (NAACIE).
A Systemic Labour Struggle with Deep Roots
The challenges facing Linden’s bauxite workers today are not new. Solomon reminded the public of previous strikes in 2008, 2014, and 2019, which highlight what he called a “systemic struggle” for better wages and fairer treatment—despite the sector’s profitability.
Bosai Minerals Group is generally a profit-making company, with past audited statements confirming profitability and global revenues exceeding US$8 billion. While the company claimed it did not make a profit in its Guyana operations in 2023—citing this as the reason for not issuing worker bonuses—such claims warrant skepticism given its continued expansion and the overall scale of its operations.
This struggle, Solomon argued, must be understood in the context of the industry’s privatisation and foreign ownership.
In December 2004, the Government of Guyana privatised the Linden bauxite operations (LINMINE), transferring 70% ownership to Cambior Inc., while retaining a 30% stake. This marked a significant shift in the management of the bauxite industry in Linden.
In 2007, Chinese company BOSAI Minerals Group Co. Ltd. acquired Cambior’s shares in a deal worth approximately US$60 million, effectively taking control of operations. This acquisition ushered in a new phase for Guyana’s bauxite sector—one defined by foreign ownership and expanding production, but not always matched by improvements in worker compensation or conditions.
Profit Rising, Pay Lagging
Solomon pointed to Bosai’s record growth—projecting over 4 million tonnes of bauxite in 2025, the highest in the industry’s history—as evidence that the company is well-positioned to provide more meaningful increases.
“Bosai is not a company struggling for survival,” he said. “It is one enjoying steady growth and profitability.”
Backed by massive capital investments, including a US$120 million kiln and MAZ project launched in 2023, the company has commissioned new rotary kilns and expanded its shipping capacity. Despite these gains, workers continue to face stagnant wages that lag behind both productivity and inflation.
Solomon criticised the recently negotiated 7–7.5% wage increase as inadequate, arguing that inflation has already eroded its impact. He asserted that increases should ideally approach or exceed 12% to truly reflect current economic realities.
Disparities Within the Resource Sector
Solomon contrasted Bosai’s wage structure with those in the gold and oil sectors, where companies have begun adjusting salaries to align more closely with global trends and local cost-of-living pressures. Bosai, he said, continues to offer “the smallest possible increases”—a position he described as “unjustifiable.”
He also highlighted that while Bosai expands, Linden’s residents face soaring food and living costs. “Everyday staples continue to erode the real value of workers’ wages,” he stated, calling it a pressing concern that demands both policy and corporate response.
Call for Stronger Unions and Housing Solutions
The Mayor also directed sharp criticism at the current state of union representation, urging workers to demand more aggressive advocacy or seek alternative representation if necessary.
“Unions today must return to bargaining beyond wages and salaries,” he said. “They must demand benefits such as housing development—like those once achieved by the [Guyana Trades Union Congress] TUC in Tucville, Wisroc, and Kwakwani during the 1970s.”
Solomon argued that collective action must continue to focus on securing fairness, better conditions, and stronger enforcement of labour laws, particularly in foreign-owned companies operating in Guyana’s most vital industries.
A National Movement for Labour Respect
Calling the Bosai dispute “not an isolated case,” Solomon said it represents a growing national demand for fair labour practices, especially in the extractive industries. With the changing global labour landscape—shaped by post-pandemic realities, technological disruption, and rising worker expectations—companies and governments must adapt.
“Workers are calling not just for fair compensation,” he wrote, “but for recognition of their role in building national wealth.”
He reiterated that workers are not striking for disruption’s sake, but for fairness, respect, and survival. “Without them, the work cannot be done. Profit targets will not be met. National growth will decline,” Solomon warned.
Looking Ahead
The Mayor said that while the outcome of the Bosai conciliation talks is a start, the real work lies in ensuring that both the government and private sector put in place policies that genuinely prioritise the working class.
“It is by placing the interests of the people first,” he concluded, “that our support must ensure policies are in place to prioritise the working man and woman as the foundation of nation building.”
