Mr Duncan has no authority to make decisions for the union

Dear Editor,

The festering problems in the Guyana Labour Union and the management of it by Mr Duncan, its General Secre-tary, are finally coming apart at the seams. For too long Mr Carvil Duncan, by virtue of his position as administrative chief, has been running roughshod over the union and welfare of the workers and getting away with it.

According to the GLU Constitution, Mr Robert Corbin, President General is the head policy maker. Mr Stanley Troyer, President, is the assistant to the president general and assumes the role of policy head in the absence of the president general. Mr Duncan, as administrative head, has the responsibility to ensure the proper day-to-day management of the union and to carry out the directives of the National Executive Council, General Council and the Delegates Conference.

As an appointed officer or servant of the union, Mr Duncan has to carry out the directives of the NEC, General Council and Dele-gates Conference. Mr Duncan is not elected like the president general, president and other serving officers of the NEC.

He carries out the directives of the elected officers and constituted bodies. It reasons that Mr Duncan cannot do what he wants with the union unless instructed by the NEC, General Council or Delegates Conference, all of which Mr Robert Corbin heads.

If Mr Duncan is not empowered to act on his own and seems to be doing so this brings into serious question the appropriateness or legality of his behaviour.

Mr Duncan cannot get away with having a couple of hand-picked persons at a meeting over which he has no authority to preside and have them appoint onto him powers and authority that the union constitution does not bestow on him.

If Mr Duncan does not have the authority to do what he did then Messrs Corbin and Troyer should assume their rightful roles in the union and sort out the chaos engulfing the union, which serves only the interest of Mr Duncan and his masters.

Yours faithfully,

Martin Roberts