Release Date: November 7, 2019
PFG Convenor Mike McCormack
The document details a protest by members of the Guyana Seafarer’s and General Workers Union (GS&GWU) during a Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) meeting on Oil & Gas. The seafarers are protesting alleged discriminatory hiring practices by Exxon-contracted companies, favoring Trinidadian seamen over qualified Guyanese for oil rig jobs. The GS&GWU claims that around 2000 qualified seamen in New Amsterdam are being overlooked, with issues such as wage disparities, tax inconsistencies, and work permit requirements being highlighted. The union has sought intervention from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and plans to provide evidence to the Guyana Human Rights Association. The incident underscores the tensions between local workers and foreign companies in the burgeoning Guyanese oil industry.
The document details a protest by members of the Guyana Seafarer’s and General Workers Union (GS&GWU) during a Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) meeting on Oil & Gas. The seafarers are protesting alleged discriminatory hiring practices by Exxon-contracted companies, favoring Trinidadian seamen over qualified Guyanese for oil rig jobs. The GS&GWU claims that around 2000 qualified seamen in New Amsterdam are being overlooked, with issues such as wage disparities, tax inconsistencies, and work permit requirements being highlighted. The union has sought intervention from the Minister of Foreign Affairs and plans to provide evidence to the Guyana Human Rights Association. The incident underscores the tensions between local workers and foreign companies in the burgeoning Guyanese oil industry.