GEORGETOWN – A victory for bauxite workers in Linden has turned into a political spat, with a prominent trade unionist furiously rejecting claims by We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) leader Azruddin Mohamed that he played any role in securing a recent, hard-won wage settlement.
The deal guarantees BOSAI workers a 7.5% increase this year and 8% next year. In a strongly worded statement on social media, Linden trade unionist and NAACIE representative Lorenzo Joseph asserted that Mohamed “did not contribute in any way possible” to the final agreement. Joseph insisted that attempts by Mohamed’s political party to claim credit amounted to a “blatant attempt… to take glory for the success of the bauxite workers.”
Instead, Joseph emphatically credited the decisive roles played by veteran trade unionist Coretta McDonald and APNU Member of Parliament Sharma Raheem Solomon. He praised them for guiding the workers’ negotiation team throughout the conciliation talks held at the Ministry of Labour.
Joseph was quoted as saying that it was the four workers making up the negotiation team, along with the union’s general president and general secretary, and the crucial “advice from the leader of the United Workers Party, veteran trade unionist Coretta McDonald and MP Sharma Raheem Solomon,” that helped them “fight relentlessly for everything we got.”
The union representative underscored that the BOSAI strike was not a political issue but the result of “hard work and sacrifice by our Linden union representatives.” Joseph was dismissive of Mohamed’s involvement, claiming his role was limited to simply “showing up, listening, and folding his hands.” He stressed, “No intervention on behalf of the workers was made, no recommendations, absolutely nothing.”
Joseph reiterated that the BOSAI dispute was resolved through the persistence of the workers’ representatives and the robust support of key union figures, underscoring that labour unity remains the true force for achieving gains in Linden’s crucial bauxite sector.
