| The wanton loss of the lives of miners while in operation is an issue that must be addressed with a view ofSherwyn Downerensuring that it becomes a thing of the past in the swiftest possible time. This is the vocalised view of Bartica resident Sherwyn Downer who is currently on a mission to advocate for the rights of miners.Downer, who formerly held the position of Press and Public Relations Officer of the Bartica Interim Management Committee, said that his new focus was evoked by what he believes is the lack of respect for the rights of a group of people – miners – whose work have been known to help contribute significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.He has described as barbaric, the attempts or lack thereof to ensure the safety of miners,Cheap Jerseys, a state of affairs he is convinced has been allowed to persist unabated for far too long. “There is need for strict adherence to mining, labour, safety and health laws…these must be adhered to; they must be followed regardless,” said Downer as he alluded to “too many avoidable deaths being recorded in the mining industry.”He is convinced that the licences of mining operators that do not confirm to the government rules and regulations should be immediately revoked or at the least suspended until needful measures are put in place.“There can no longer be just calls for investigations; action must be taken and taken now. The Ministry of Natural Resources must act, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission must act and the Ministry of Social Protection too…they all must act now to determine first of all if the laws are being broken in some mining activities,China NFL Jerseys,” asserted Downer.In getting to the bottom of the protracted challenge in the mining sector, Downer noted that there is need for all operations to be given close attention. This,Cheap NFL Jerseys, he said, is imperative to ascertain if “employers are engaging operations that are in the best interest of workers and not merely to make a handsome profit.”“When there are accidents in the mining environments, the workers and their families are almost always on the losing end,” said Downer who said that he is particularly saddened by recent mining pit cave-ins that resulted in the loss of the lives of miners.“This is a cause for serious concern,” said Downer as he called upon the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association to play a greater role representing the rights of workers in the mining arena. “Mining has had its ups and downs but it continues to be very lucrative but for too long we have allowed the legacy of the simple workers in the mines to be a troubling one; we have to change this frightening trend of pit cave-ins which is preventable if care and caution is taken on each occasion,” Downer has noted.Another mining issue that has been gaining Downer’s attention is one that he has described as the “almost monopoly” operation of the Mekdeci Mining Company (MMC) in terms of its charging of fees to access the mining district.He disclosed that currently the cost for trucks to access the mining district is $32,000 while mini buses are charged $11,000, cruisers $9,Supply NFL Jerseys,000 and ATVs $2000.Downer is calling on Government to review the fees charged by MMC with a view of having them reduced. He, in making this appeal recalled,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, “the now governing Coalition Government (A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change) while in opposition and on the campaign trail had promised a better deal for miners and the mining industry…”Downer underscored that if the access toll is reduced then more goods and services will reach the interior location; a move that will undoubtedly find favour with the already hard working miners. “If the mining industry is to begin a full recovery then the reduction of cost to transport goods and services to the interior must be first looked at as part of the solution,” observed Downer. According to him,Cheap Jerseys, for too long the mining industry has been treated as a patient struggling to recover. “No one seems to be willing to make the sacrifice to ensure that the industry is on firm footing again,” said Downer who is hopeful that measures will be implemented to change what he believes is the existing state of affairs. |
