The management of Ekaa Hrim Earth Resources has committed to disbursing all outstanding salaries and wages owed to its Indian workers on or before May 27, 2026, following an inter-agency meeting convened at the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning on Friday.
The meeting was led by Minister Keoma Griffith and brought together officials from the Ministries of Legal Affairs, Home Affairs, and Human Services and Social Security, along with representatives of the company and the affected workers. The Acting Indian High Commissioner was also present and participated in the discussions.
In a statement, the Ministry of Labour confirmed the wage commitment and noted that both the company and the workers raised additional matters during the consultations, with both parties undertaking to provide supporting documentation in the coming week. The ministry emphasised that the process remains ongoing and continues to be guided by due process and compliance with the laws of Guyana.
The investigation stems from complaints filed by 37 Indian nationals employed at Ekaa Hrim’s quarry operation in Batavia Village, Region Seven, who alleged poor working and living conditions, excessive working hours, low wages, and the unlawful handling of their travel documents. The matter has drawn the attention of multiple government agencies, the Guyana Police Force, the Trafficking in Persons Unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and representatives from the Indian High Commission.
The commitment to pay outstanding wages by May 27 is a development, but it is a narrow one. It addresses a symptom without yet resolving the underlying violations. Outstanding wages being repaid does not mean the workers were paid lawfully during their time at the site. The contracts reviewed by this publication required workers to cover 72-hour work weeks at rates that violated the National Minimum Wage Order, meaning the question is not simply whether back pay is owed but whether the amounts owed have been correctly calculated against Guyana’s statutory wage and overtime requirements. A payment made on the basis of an illegal contract is not a settlement in good standing.
The broader investigation also remains unresolved on its most serious elements. The death of Sekhar Chhetri at the site on May 12, the reported severe injury to another worker who lost fingers to unsafe machinery, the confiscation of passports, and the USD$5,000 abandonment fee written into employment contracts all carry criminal dimensions that a wage disbursement deadline does not address. The Trafficking in Persons Unit and the Guyana Police Force are still in the field, and the public is owed a clear timeline for when findings from those investigations will be published.
What is also conspicuously absent from the Ministry’s statement is any update on the immigration and work permit status of the 37 workers. As this publication has previously asked: on what basis did these individuals enter Guyana, were valid work permits issued before they commenced quarry work, and were NIS contributions being made on their behalf throughout their employment? Those questions have not been answered by any government agency to date, and the wage payment deadline of May 27 must not be allowed to serve as a quiet close to a case that is far from closed.
SOURCE: Guyana Chronicle, “EKAA HRIM commits to paying Indian workers outstanding wages by May 27,” May 23, 2026
