APNU Member of Parliament and representative for Natural Resources, Sharma Solomon, has issued an indictment of the government’s oversight of the extractive sectors, demanding an immediate overhaul of safety enforcement following a string of workplace fatalities.
The statement comes in the wake of the death of 25-year-old miner Ryan Roberts, who was killed in a pit collapse at Chi Chi Backdam in Chinoweing, Region 7. Solomon slammed the Ministry of Labour and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), accusing them of operational absence and a culture of “reactive governance.”
According to data cited by Solomon, Guyana recorded 13 workplace fatalities and 64 non-fatal workplace incidents between January and April 2026 alone. By May, the mining sector had registered at least four additional deaths, a tally now compounded by the tragedy at Chi Chi Backdam.
“For years, Guyana’s mining sector has operated with a dangerous acceptance of risk,” Solomon stated. “Pit collapses, unsafe working conditions, questionable labour practices and recurring accidents continue to expose workers to injury and death. Yet the agencies responsible for oversight continue to react after tragedy instead of preventing it.”
Solomon pointed directly to the Ministry of Labour’s mandate to protect workers and the GGMC’s statutory responsibility to enforce safety standards, asserting that both regulatory bodies “appear absent until something goes wrong.”
The opposition MP highlighted a broader pattern of delayed findings and unmet commitments regarding labour disputes in the natural resources sector. Specifically, Solomon pointed to ongoing worker grievances at Guyana Goldfields and separate allegations regarding foreign workers and labour conditions within the quarrying sector. In both instances, Solomon noted that while investigations and ministerial “training” initiatives were promised months ago, the findings remain hidden from public view and affected workers are still left waiting for answers.
“Investigations without conclusions, findings without publication, and promises without action eventually erode public confidence,” Solomon warned. “Workers do not measure justice by the number of investigations announced. They measure it by whether anything changes when the investigation is over.” Solomon’s critique explicitly tied the current situation to the record of the current Minister of Labour and Manpower, noting his previous central role in the government’s response to the Mahdia dormitory fire tragedy of 2023. Solomon cautioned that the Minister’s current actions are being heavily weighed against that track record “Having played a central role in the government’s response to the Mahdia dormitory tragedy, a matter that continues to attract public scrutiny. Under this new portfolio of Labour and Manpower Minister, the Minister must know that his actions today are being measured against his record.”
“The mining sector generates enormous wealth for Guyana,” Solomon said. “The least this nation can do is ensure that the men and women who create that wealth are protected before tragedy strikes, not remembered after it occurs.”
