Dear Editor,
The recent incident at Zijin Mining’s Aurora Goldfield, where a worker, visibly frustrated, confronted a manager over the prolonged absence of basic underground safety equipment, must not be seen as an isolated event, but one that reflects a deeper, longstanding pattern of abuse, exploitation, and disregard for workers within the gold mining sector, particularly under the operations formerly known as Guyana Goldfields and now under Zijin.
All must be done to discourage and prevent such incidents from occurring. However, for years, workers at this site and across the industry have raised alarms about unsafe tunnels, chronic shortages of protective gear, severe health episodes underground, and persistent bullying and intimidation. Reports of workers collapsing, bleeding from their ears and nose, and sharing safety gear between shifts are not only unacceptable, but they are also criminally negligent. The Health and Safety at Work Regulations (under the Occupational Safety and Health framework), specifies the requirements for PPE, safe work practices, and penalties for non-compliance.
The Minister of Finance’s Mid-Year Report shows that gold earnings, particularly the growth at Guyana Goldfield, are strong and rising. This level of profitability should directly benefit the workers who make it possible and should be afforded safer conditions, fair compensation, and proper protections. Yet, despite the sector’s growth, many workers continue to face unsafe environments and inadequate treatment. This is unacceptable.
This situation did not emerge overnight. Guyana Goldfields has a documented history of poor labour practices, managerial hostility, and disregard for occupational safety standards. Over the past year, abuses in the extractive sector have grown more visible through exposure of unsafe worksites, unregulated subcontracting, and recurring accidents across gold, bauxite, and quarrying operations. These are symptoms of an industry operating without proper oversight and without consequences.
What makes this current situation worse is the continued silence and absence of strong representation from those tasked with protecting the National Workforce. The government’s engagement has been sporadic, reactive, and often after the fact, only launching full investigations after public outrage or leaked videos. This absence of proper representation and oversight by the government through its Ministries and agencies has left workers desperate, unheard, and increasingly fearful for their lives. It is against this backdrop that we are seeing incidents as those escalated on camera. This must now be a turning point.
The safety, dignity, and rights of Guyanese workers cannot be negotiable. The extractive sector is one of our country’s most profitable industries and cannot be allowed to function as a lawless zone where foreign companies benefit while Guyanese citizens bleed, collapse, or die underground. A thorough investigation involving not only the Ministry of Labour but also occupational safety experts, medical personnel, and a parliamentary oversight committee from National Resources and Labour must be involved. A detailed report on working conditions of companies within the extractive sector, including Guyana Goldfields, must be conducted.
The Government must seek to establish a National Extractive Workers Protection Framework, guaranteeing safe reporting mechanisms, whistleblower protection, and medical monitoring for underground workers. Workers in the mining sector are the backbone of a multibillion-dollar industry, representing some of the largest earnings for our country. Guyana owes them more than reactive investigations and promises. As valued stakeholders, they are owed better representation.