Observing a minute of silence in commemoration of the birthday of the late civil rights leader Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King at the annual breakfast mark­ing the event at the Pegasus Hotel yesterday.

From left are Senior Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Patrick McKenzie, Prime Minister Hamilton Green and his wife, Dr Jennifer Green, Antoinette Ford, who was the guest speaker at the breakfast, US Charge d’ Affaires Dennis Hays, Director of the United States Information Service (USIS) Jim Burns and Mr. Lunsford Bowen of the University of Guyana.

The event was sponsored by the US Embassy, the Georgetown Lions Club and the Pegasus Hotel.

Ms. Ford whose presentation highlighted the theme of this year’s Martin Luther King Day observances: “Remember, Celebrate, Act” is the owner of Telspan Inter-   national, Inc., a video production company based in Washington. As part of her three-day stay here, Ms. Ford will deliver a public lecture today entitled “Busi­ness Develop-ment and Entrepreneurship” at the USIS Auditorium at 6.30 p.m. Ms. Ford has worked as Plant Manager for the General Motors Corporation and was USAID Director in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Minimum wage unrealistic with ongoing inflation

THE Trades Union Congress (TUC) has refused to guide govern­ment on a 1991 mini­mum wage.

In a document outlin­ing the TUC proposals for the 1991 Budget, to Finance Minister Carl Greenidge, TUC General Secretary Joseph Pol­lydore said that the unions cannot fix a min­imum wage because of government’s “commit­ment to a process of on­going devaluation”, un­stable cambio rates, and the “spiralling” rise of consumer prices.

“It would be an exer­cise in futility” to attempt to propose a new mini­mum wage, Pollydore said.

But in proposing a new minimum wage, the TUC suggests, govern­ment must leave “enough flexibility” so that after the budget, which is ex­pected this month end, the TUC and government can negotiate for a mini­mum wage “in excess of that proposed (by government) in the Budget”. Pollydore stressed that Collective Bargaining between unions and individual State businesses is im­portant for worker satis­faction with wages and salaries.

The TUC also wants “new” wages and salaries scales “providing for yearly increments. The revision should take into account the need to retain and attract required skills”. The current 1% year-old-wages and salaries structure “has become distorted and ob­solete” and should be revised, without affect­ing normal payment of 1991 increases.

On the subject of taxation, the TUC recommends increases on personal allowances for taxpayers and de­pendents.

The TUC recom­mends special considera­tion for the salaries of teachers and nurses and health workers and wants subsidies maintained on gasolene, diesel, gas oil, kerosene and cooking gas. Also there should be heavy concentration on agriculture in order to improve drainage and irrigation and sea defences.

Pollydore said in the document that government seemed unable to respond adequately to demands by workers for the introduction of measures designed to ameliorate hardships” on workers. He also warned that the “current demand for greater political democracy…will in the not too distant future be extended to include demands for… greater trade union democracy”. In this situation, government must “avoid delaying labour representations made to it.” (S.S.)

The Small Businessman

Victor carves cups, ash trays, bowls

FATE and the ad­vantages of being self-employed were the two main reasons for a Geor­getown businessman be­coming fully involved with a thriving small business.

Victor Gittens of In­dependence Boulevard, La Penitence, presently owns a wood craft busi­ness that manufactures a variety of small items. He explained that his uncle, who had owned the business which was then located in Smythe Street, and with whom he used to work, died in 1987 and he inherited the business. However, he suffered a slight setback then when he was or­dered by the landlord to close his operation and move out. He did, and today operates out of In­dependence Boulevard.

The 52-year old divorcee said among the numerous items he car­ves are egg cups, bitter cups, ash trays, candle holders, powder bowls, fruit bowls and coasters. Before he started out with his late uncle some years ago, Victor said he used to earn a living by knitting polythene bags.

This business crumbled when these types of bags went out of fashion. For some time also, he was a serviceman on a govern­ment-owned dragline ex­cavator.

Like any other busi­ness, “things do not al­ways run smooth,” ac­cording to Victor. There are some problems, with the biggest one being the frequent power outages which affect production as most of the items are carved on machines. Manual labour is re­quired to put on the finishing touches. How­ever, he hopes to acquire a generating set to al­leviate this problem.

When he had started his business after his uncle’s death, Victor dis­closed, he was in need of funds to purchase raw materials. Around the same time, a friend of his popped along and Victor was told about the In­stitute of Small Enterprise Development (ISED) after he had ex­plained his predicament to him.

Within a few weeks, he received his first loan. The small businessman, whose business has ex­panded over the years, is presently servicing his third loan from the in­stitution. He plans fur­ther expansion with the ISED’s assistance.

What about marketing? Most of his products are sold to prominent stores in Georgetown which in­clude Guyana Stores, Margarita’s Gift Shop, Creations Craft and Guyana Crafts Limited.

In addition to his expansion plans, Victor also hopes to acquire  his own house  in the near future. “with my own home, I would be able to do better  in my business.”