Dear Editor,
Recently, in a number of articles and letters to the print media, especially, detractors, critics and other contributors have been stating, most erroneously, that GAWU’s President, Komal Chand is a member of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guy-suco).
This, of course, is not so. In truth, the union would have welcomed any decision to represent its massive sugar sector membership on such a decision-making Board, but this has been denied notwithstanding the precedent of Trade Union representatives serving on Boards.
Komal Chand, is indeed a PPP/C Member of Parlia-ment, wherein he seeks to promote workers and trade union rights where the people’s welfare is debated at the highest levels.
We will not choose this brief correspondence to repeat the advantages of a trade union leader being a Member of Parliament. This is in the fine tradition of the British Labour Party in the House of Commons and numerous West Indian political leaders being members of their Parliaments also – including Cheddi Jagan, Forbes Burnham, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, Jean Persico, among others.
That debate can be put on pause as GAWU reiterates here that its President is not a Member of the Guysuco Board.
Thank you for the opportunity of this clarification.
Yours faithfully,
Seepaul Narine
General Secretary
GAWU
Seepaul Narine … Komal Chand was a MEMBER of GuySuCo Board. Komal is EQUALLY responsible for the state of the sugar industry because as a member of the board he FAILED to put in place measures to improve the quality and quntity of sugar.
Raj, you are right that Komal Chand WAS a member of the Guysuco Board before Jagdeo appointed Hanoman as the new chairman, replacing the British guy, and that he, like Geeta Singh-Kinght (of CLICO infamy) and Donald Ramotar (PPP Gen. Secty.) were all members of the said board as Guysuco recorded $3B in losses in 2008.
I think Singh-Knight and Ramotar are still board members, but I also think there is a growing rift in the PPP hierarchy between those for and those against Jagdeo, and Chand may well be on the team of those against Jagdeo, hence GAWU’s agitation.
hehheeehe Jagdoe for third term Jagdoe for third term hahahaa
Komal Chand was a member of Guysuco Board. He knows sugar is uneconomical and the PPP gov’t will have to close it.
Komal Chand was a member of the GUYSUCO Board Narine please do not mislead the people.He was a member of Guyana Water Inc which saw numerous problems.
Seepaul Narine is either blissfully ignorant or is deliberately attempting to misrepresent the facts. I leave it up to the intelligent bloggers to decide which it is.
Narine ! Union leaders being Members of Parliament were in the days when they alone were ‘bright bad’ and everyone else was , like, stupid. Get outta here. I say it again, some people still believe that they are the only ones with a lock on knowledge. Be gone !
Georgie, well said! GAWU and the PPP need constant reminders of the truths! They have spun such a big web of lies around themselves they are blurred from the thing call truth.
Is it true?Komal Chand is not a member of Guysuco Board?Oh My God!!! Then Guysuco is on the road 2 recovery then?Oh My…what a nasty piece of propaganda peddled by the opposition forces.These people can’t see the transparency in Guysuco management and the non-interferance of the PPP.Aaaaaw
Komal Chand will nor let the sugar workers down. He has a fantastic record struggling on their behalf. He fought the colonialist and the local oppressors and continues to stand up for the sugar workers. Since sugar means so much for the country, a decent raise of pay will be in order.