Purported officials of Puran Brothers earlier today (September 17, 2021) engaged in threatening behaviour toward officials of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) who were engaging employees of Puran Brothers. The workers had shared with our Union issues regarding violation of their workplace rights and concerns over poor conditions-of-work.
Arising from those interactions, officials of the GAWU ventured to continue discussions with the workers. It appears the Puran Brothers officials may have gotten wind of the interactions and ventured to a shop where the Union officials were located. The company’s officials then begun to threaten our GAWU officials and attempted to snatch their possessions. Our officials then came under attack and sand was thrown at one of our officials while another of the company’s personnel verbally assaulted him. This was after one of our officials replied to a derogatory remark launched towards the Union’s personnel.
The GAWU denounces the attempts by the Puran Brothers officials. Their threatening behaviour is obviously an attempt to intimidate the Union and more so the workers. We learnt following the interaction with our Union officials, the workers were summoned to the company’s premises. Presumably they may have been warned about seeking to have their rights respected. The GAWU denounces the attempt by officials the well-known company to undermine and dissuade the workers from pursuing their rights. Our Union officials have since reported the matter to the Guyana Police Force.
The GAWU calls on the Minister and Ministry of Labour to act swiftly to ensure that the workers inalienable constitutional rights are protected, and they are treated with decency, respect and dignity which all our workers deserve.
