GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (CMC) – The Guyana government says it has recovered more than GUY$200 million (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) in unpaid wages for workers over the past four years, including GUY$31.7 million last year.

Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton, told a news conference that several employers, mainly security companies, were involved in withholding wages and had also committed other infractions, including evasion tactics to avoid accountability.

He noted that some companies frequently changed their business names to evade conviction.

“When they rob people in 2024, …in 2025, they change the company name to another name…a lot of these security companies the name they started with I can tell you is not the name they have five years, 10  years,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said despite these challenges, the ministry has intensified its efforts to hold such companies accountable, recover workers’ wages and reduce the number of labour complaints.

He said through targeted initiatives, including outreach programmes, seminars, and the newly launched labour app, the ministry has improved its complaint-receiving mechanisms.

Hamilton said that the app empowers workers who may not lodge formal complaints out of fear they might lose their jobs.

“This app has allowed them to make those reports so that the Ministry of Labour, the Labour Department can intervene,” he said, adding that with a significant number of cases already resolved, workers can be assured that all remaining labour cases will be investigated and addressed.