– dismissals not linked to polygraph tests, Ghir says
An undisclosed number of employees attached to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and agencies that operate within the airport were dismissed shortly after polygraph testing was conducted.
Ramesh Ghir, the airport’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), last evening admitted that employees both attached directly to CJIA and to agencies that operate within the airport took polygraph tests recently. Reports indicated that these persons were dismissed after they failed the test.
However, Ghir stressed that the results of those polygraph tests had nothing to do with the recent dismissal of employees.
The polygraph testing, according to him, was not conducted at CJIA and employees were dismissed for various other reasons. Breach of organizational policies, rules and guidelines were among the reasons for dismissals, he said.
Insisting that there was no correlation between negative polygraph results and the dismissal of employees, the CEO said that this was not the first time CJIA and the agencies were dismissing employees. Dismissals, Ghir said, have been happening for a number of years. Those employees recently dismissed, he said, have been “paid all their benefits”.
Over the last few years the rise in narcotic trafficking at CJIA had raised questions as to whether there was collusion between airport staff and drug traffickers.
Questioned about whether the recent dismissals were linked to any such evidence, Ghir said that CJIA has not fired anyone for such a reason.
“I cannot speak for any agency and whether they have fired staff for that reason but at our end [CJIA] we have not fired anyone for a reason along that line,” Ghir stated declining to comment further.
Stabroek News was unable to ascertain how many employees, directly attached to the airport, were dismissed and which of the agencies that operate within CJIA had fired staff.
All the little men are getting moved around while the big fishes wine and dine the establishment………..where have we seen this movie before?
Brandon, top ur crying. if ur on a job and u failed to do ur job do u think ur boss should loose his job because of ur failures?
get over with it, ur use of big fish and small fish is now redundant. the samll fishes were placed there to do a job. If they can’t do it or become corrupt then fire them.
If you don’t take your job serious and you make mistakes. you have to be fired.
If the failures are chronic and keep happening over and over again yes. It means that you have failed to improve the system.
You dig Jimmy? this only happens in communist russia and cuba and venezuela.
You cannot and should not fire people based on polygraph tests. It is an imperfect science. Certain operatives including members of the CIA are trained to “fool” the polygraph.
Where will we take this technology next. Convict a “murderer”
Polygraphs do not “seek” the truth or lies in people it takes measures of human response in terms of heart impulses to questions. Freightened people will respond differently even if innocent.
If we are going to do this then we must set a benchmark standard. Select a high level government official at random and let him or her pass the test first then hook up the unfortunate scapegoat.
Concerned citizens need to report this to the Human Rights authorities. This is a ruthless police state tactic.
Joe.
Good steps to fire employees who were not performing up to par. However, the polygraph testing should NOT have been done because it gives the appearance that they were fired for failing the test. Mr. Ghir you erred seriously. But then again it is Guyana and no one will sue.
dis should have been done long long ago:::
next move::::teck away all cell phones from all those who wokin at de airport…..while on duty…….you give dem your address where you staying..next ting yuh know….bandits deh at yuh home waiting fuh yuh to greet yuh wig big gun in ah yuh blod klaat face……
could moderator say…if its law that one has to put their intended address when visitin and why?
The same thing is done when entering the US and when visiting other international countries. Visitors are required to filled out a Customs Declaration form, declare currency over $10K, reveal current address (visitors and residents alike), purpose of visit and answer a series of other questions….
On can safely guess that the purpose is to a track of people visiting that specific country and I gather the same is done when entering Canada also.
“NOT ONLY IN GUYANA”
I GET YA AND YUH RIGHT BUT IN GUYANA YOU ARE BEING ASKED FOR YOUR INTENDED ADDRESS FOR A DIFFERENT REASON….WHEN LAST YOU HEARD OF BANDITS REACHING THE INTENDED ADDRESS OF A VISITOR TO CANADA/US OR OR ANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL COUNTRIES YOU MENTONED?
EE even before you reach GT ur family already announce one month before to the whole village that they getting foreigners.Do like me seh yo going to crab island and it ent gat no address de.
Guyana should be reported to the I.L.O. because workers are being fired because of the results of failed polygraph tests. These people cannot refuse to participate and the tests themselves are known for their unreliability. Don’t these people have unions? I forgot unions are a marginalized group unless they are the G.A.W.U.(Government Agriculture Workers Union)
Poligraph tests are inadmissable in a court of law in the US based on their unreliability. When are ordinary workers in Guyana going to get any real representation?
my thoughts actually, the fired workers should come together and sue for wrongful dismissal, fireing workers on account of a polygraph test is baseless and illegal, but then again as one blogger said in guyana anything is possible.
But polygraphs ARE used in the US gov’t to screen employees, especially those suspected of wrong-doing. So although it may not be admissible in court, it IS used to detect deceit and is used in hiring and firing.
So, if you using the US standard, it also moves the same.
If they failed critical questions, they deserve dismissal.
MR,GHIR I WILL LIKE YOU TO TAKE AN POLLYGRAPH TEST IN PUBLIC .
Well na, I guess he think Guyanese and everyone else in da world are fools…….not me boss not me ………….I remember after the GRA bunch, a promise was made that more testing would be done and guess what more testing was done and just like the last set of persons who failed this set got fired……
Besides these actions being in breach of our constitution, my only other feud is that none of them MINISTERS NOR THEIR BOSS IS NOT TAKING THE TEST.
According to Ghir, the employees were not fired because of the pollygraph test, nor were they fired because of the drugs related activities, so why were they fired? It seems that Ghir dosen’t know why the people were fired, just that they were fired and they have recieved all their pay and benifits. How about the benifit of due process, or maybe that does not exist in Guyana.
The polygraph tests were done so as to ascertain whether the employees were involved in drug smuggling. The tests were not done so as to determine whether the employees lied about being sick and staying away from work.
For obvious reasons Ghir cannot admit the real reason that the employees were fired I fully support the decision to fire the workers. Drug smuggling is a scourge that must not be tolerated.
The Airport is fist impression and must have professional staff and people with intregrety,it is important to do proper screening of applicants when employing them rather than to give them a try and later have to remove them after they have already done some damage to the country and it’s people…Clean up the present situation and re-hire people that will follow basic rules and guidelines…
soldier, the lone voice crying in the wilderness, show me the evidence.
I thought solideer is the fuss man to halla where is the evidence the proofs the proofs.
No proofs solideer? seems like you only want convenient truth eh?
By the way how come you still in my great country here man? I thought you were headed back to live under the Jagdeo regime and embrace all that is good there?
What tis the delay?
Good point Soldier. Now, let us apply this to the Jagdeo Government.
What’s all this secrecy?
Why can a plain statement be made on why dismissals were thought
to be be best?