Worker Exploitation Allegations Spark Calls for Urgent National Action

The Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity has issued a strong public statement condemning what it describes as a growing pattern of worker exploitation across Guyana, warning that the country risks normalizing abuse amid rapid economic expansion.

In a statement released Tuesday May 19th, the organization cited several recent incidents involving foreign and local workers, ranging from alleged labour violations to accusations connected to human trafficking and passport confiscation.

The statement referenced reports involving workers at the Chinese-owned Zijin Mining Aurora Gold Mine, where Guyanese employees allegedly endured unsafe working conditions, inadequate wages, lack of safety equipment, and poor food quality. The allegations were previously highlighted in reporting by Stabroek News.

The organization also pointed to allegations involving 38 Indian nationals employed at a quarry operation in Region Seven. According to reports published by Kaieteur News, workers claimed their passports were confiscated, wages withheld, and that a US$5,000 penalty was imposed on anyone attempting to leave the operation. The allegations surfaced following the reported death of one worker.

The Assembly further referenced two separate matters involving Cuban nationals. In one case, two individuals are currently before the courts on multiple trafficking-related charges after allegedly confiscating a woman’s passport and coercing her into commercial sex work, according to reporting by INews Guyana.

In another case, authorities reportedly discovered 77 Cuban nationals living in Georgetown without access to their travel documents, as reported earlier this year by Demerara Waves.

The Assembly argued that these incidents point to failures in oversight and enforcement rather than isolated labour disputes.

“Under Guyana’s Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, passport confiscation alone is a criminal offence,” the statement noted. “These are not labour disputes. They are systemic failures of oversight and enforcement.”

The organization called for full independent investigations into all allegations involving workers, regardless of nationality or employer status. It also urged criminal prosecutions where evidence supports trafficking or labour law violations.

Additionally, the Assembly advocated for stronger preventative inspections, better protections for vulnerable workers, and stricter vetting of both local and foreign recruitment agencies operating in Guyana.

According to the group, Guyana’s approach to labour exploitation should be guided by four principles: prevention, partnership, protection, and prosecution.

“No worker on Guyanese soil should be stripped of their freedom or dignity for someone else’s profit,” the statement declared.

The issue comes at a time when Guyana’s economy continues to expand rapidly due to oil revenues and major infrastructure projects, developments that have also increased demand for imported labour across several sectors, including mining, construction, and quarry operations.