Aurora Gold Mines’ workers down tools to press demands for pay hike

Last Updated on Monday, 29 December 2025, 14:59 by Writer

Aurora Gold Mine (AGM) on Sunday confirmed that workers at its site in Cuyuni went on a brief strike ahead negotiations later this week for an increase in wages and salaries.

The work stoppage occurred at the mills round pad area between 7:18 a.m. and 08:10 a.m. and involved employees from the mills department. “The matter related to discussions on a proposed wage adjustment. Employees expressed their position during the period of the stand down,” the AGM said in a statement.

Following engagement between the company’s human resources department and union representatives, including direct communication with the General Secretary of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), Dawchan Nagasar, the company said “consensus was reached for employees to return to work.”

When contacted on Sunday afternoon, Mr Nagasar denied there was a strike or go-slow on Sunday but said a section of the workers were “making noise” to management about the need for higher pay.

“We are under negotiations so the company made a proposal,” he said.

He said the workers were originally demanding a 20 percent increase for 2025 and 2026, but they are peeved that Zijin Mining is offering six percent for 2025 and eight percent for 2026.

Mr Nagasar said the union was demanding 10 percent for each year but it did not mean that that would be the final figure.

The NAACIE General Secretary said he is scheduled to meet with the labour minister on Monday and then Zijin’s Mining on Tuesday.

Mr Nagasar said the offer of an increased night premium for 12 hours’ work has moved from just over GY$20 to GY$160 and now the company is offering GY$200 per hour.

The leave allowance, he said, has moved from 4 percent to 8 percent of last year’s basic salary.

In terms of annual leave, he said the company has proposed that that be moved from 14 days for 1 to 5 years’ employment to an additional two days for every five years.

“We are discussing. We haven’t agreed to anything yet. These are proposals that we are discussing,” said the union official.

He said that is the third counter-proposal after having started with small amounts and “we’re moving up and up all the time.”

A worker, speaking with Demerara Waves Online News, said if their needs are not met by Tuesday, they would go on strike and “shut down the operations.”

The workers say they have not received a wage and salary increase since 2023.

Though they get GY$40 more on the hour, the workload has been increasing “but our pay remains the same” and there are “more responsibilities with the same old wages”.

Sources said Zijin Mining has increased its infrastructure at the mines site by about 200 percent and the mill size has tripled since the Chinese took over Aurora Gold Mine in August, 2020.

The starting rate for unskilled workers is about GY$600 per hour and skilled about GY$700 per hour, according to a source.