Leader of the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity party and longtime rights activist, Simona Broomes, has expressed alarm over growing cases of exploitation of workers across Guyana.

She is calling for a full probe of the incidents.

In relation to the case of the 38 Indian Nationals who were attached to a quarry company in Region 7, Ms. Broomes said there needs to be a full and independent investigation into the treatment of the workers, along with their working and living conditions.

Broomes said there must be independent investigations into all allegations involving foreign and local workers, and criminal charges be filed where evidence of trafficking or labour law violations exist.

She is also calling for there to be preventative inspections and protective measures to detect and stop exploitation before it occurs, and proper vetting of all recruitment agencies, local and foreign, that operate in or bring workers into Guyana.

It was also noted that Guyana’s response to worker exploitation must be anchored in the principles of prevention, partnership, protection, and Prosecution.

The Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity also noted recent cases of Cubans being charged on multiple counts of trafficking in persons, and Cuban nationals complaining of their passports being withheld by employers.

Under Guyana’s Combating of Trafficking in Persons Act, passport confiscation alone is a criminal offence, Broomes said.

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