Dear Editor,
Minister of Labour, Mr Manzoor Nadir’s comments in Stabroek News of May 1, 2009 are nothing short of hypocrisy. The Minister cannot be sincere when he said “workers should also continue to commit to their representative organisations; to building workers’ cooperatives and credit unions and ensuring that their voices are heard against violations of workers’ rights.” The things the Minister asked for in his May Day Message are the very things the Minister and his government have conducted a systematic campaign to destroy.
From all observations the PPP has no respect for the trade unions and has not left them to function without interference. Over the years the government has engaged in numerous strategies to create a disunited trade union society. This strategy can only be for one reason – a disunited trade union gives the government greater cover to violate workers’ rights.
Evidence of the government’s desire to control the unions are the consequences suffered by unions which refuse to succumb to its directive. Ten years later public servants have not received the full benefits of the Armstrong Award. The government refuses to conduct a commission of inquiry into the 1999 police shooting of those unarmed public service union members who were on strike for a living wage. The Minister of Labour has stated several reasons for the government refusal to return the subventions to the Guyana Trades Union Congress and the Critchlow Labour College in spite of a public outcry, protestation, the near collapse of the college and the opportunities denied to students. Minister Nadir’s government continues to disrespect the rights of workers to organize and have representation by the manipulation of the Trades Union Recognition Board. Retired bauxite workers can never receive a pension because the government destroyed their pension plan. Collective bargaining is disregarded and the GPSU watches on helplessly every year as the government imposes measly wages and salaries. In another attempt to marginalize the GPSU the government hires contract workers in the public service who by the nature of their contract are not members of the GPSU.
The Minister needs to be reminded of the government’s record and told that the principle of unity in strength, respect for workers’ representation and an end to the violation of workers’ rights can never be achieved with this attitude.
Yours faithfully,
Winston Paul
SN, you have published several letters/news items with this Burnamite line : Labour College, Bauxite workers, “low” wages increases, government control of unions. The charges have all been adequately addressed in other fora for their one-sidedeness and dishonesty. The mantra is getting stale. You are violating a tenet of good journalism by publishing repetition and stale opinions.
Reddy In Barbados you are living, conclusive and incontrovertible proof that the truth hurts. Live with the facts until the situation changes. Constant dripping wears away stone.
Reddy tell dem bannus dis they dont know what we had to go through for 28 years ow mi laud burnham and de 28 years. ow how we survive ah doan know ah doan know reddy ow mi laud 28 years we had to endure de struggles ow reddy rover ow!!!
Reddy, you living happy in Barbados and you do not want those at home to criticise your government eh? Leave developed Barbados and take a walk home and tell the people to stop complaining because life in Guyana is very good. I bet you won’t survive
the week with no water, constant black out, sicko salary, crime and 16 % VAT. That’s happening in Guyana Reddy
The government playing games. Good someone speaking out
Respect for what rights are they talking about? No rights were infringed.Is this the idea of a dreamer?
Guyana’s greatest problem is..the two main political parties are both the same…..cut from the same cloth so-to-speak….they are both to blame for ALL our problems….until the Counrty has a great shift in power…..it’ll continue in this death spiral…..sad to say the present crop of politicians doesn’t bode well for the future of the Country…we can only hope that somehow….somewhere…a new politican emerges to lead the Counrty back from this dark and foreboding place.