On Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Guyana’s Minister of Labour Keoma Griffith confirmed that an inter-agency investigation is underway into serious allegations of worker mistreatment at a Batavia quarry operated by Indian firm EKAA HRIM Earth Resources Management, located in Region Seven Cuyuni-Mazaruni. While Griffith has outlined the scope of the probe, he has declined to share non-public details of the ongoing inquiry, citing the need for a fair, balanced review of claims from both workers and the company.
Griffith, a trained lawyer, noted that the company has formally denied all allegations leveled against it by the 38 affected Indian national workers. “It now calls on us to investigate both sides,” he told reporters, adding that additional information will be released publicly once it is verified and the inquiry progresses. The cross-ministerial investigation team is currently examining multiple key concerns, including irregularities in worker employment contracts, substandard living conditions, severe workplace health and safety hazards, and the reported unauthorized seizure of workers’ personal belongings and cultural artefacts.
In a major early development, the 38 workers have had their Indian passports returned following direct intervention from Griffith and engagement with India’s diplomatic mission in Guyana. The labour minister issued a firm 24-hour ultimatum for the documents to be returned earlier this week, which EKAA HRIM Earth Resources Management complied with. “I met the representatives of the company and I demanded in no uncertain terms that their passports be returned to them by 1 PM on that day. Within a short turnaround time, the passports were returned to them,” Griffith confirmed. However, he declined to name which party held the passports, as the company itself has denied retaining the documents, and the investigation remains open.
Griffith also pushed back against calls to immediately label the alleged passport retention as human trafficking, saying that premature labeling would be irresponsible. “I’m not going to make an allegation of human trafficking without [evidence]. I cannot do that. That will be irresponsible of me,” he said. That accusation has already been leveled by Guyana’s Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed, who has played a central role in bringing the workers’ allegations to public attention. Mohamed facilitated the workers’ travel from the remote quarry to the capital Georgetown, accompanying them to meetings with both the Indian High Commission and the Ministry of Labour to file their formal grievances.
On the separate issue of unpaid wages, Griffith said company representatives have provided an explanation for delayed outstanding salary payments, and he is currently waiting for additional documentation to verify their account. The investigation comes in the wake of two severe adverse events among the workforce: one worker has died while employed at the quarry, and a second worker who reportedly lost four fingers in a work accident has already returned to India. A follow-up meeting between ministry officials and company representatives was scheduled for 1 PM Wednesday to continue discussions related to the investigation.