Dear Editor,
I refer to Samantha Ali’s letter captioned “The male labour leaders talked a lot but achieved little” (08.01.10). As a fellow woman Ms Ali’s resort to the gender appeal in her response to Martin Roberts’s letter was unfortunate.
Though Ms. Gillian Burton is the first female president of the Guyana Trades Union Congress her gender has nothing to do with her performance. Ms. Burton can be as good/bad as any man or woman.
Women have come a long way. Women leaders are in every strata of society and have held their own, good or bad, over the years. Both genders have by now realized the differences lie in our sexuality not our abilities.
The trade union to its credit must be applauded for supporting the feminist movement and realizing gender equality in the workplace and the wider society as a whole.
Ms. Burton to her credit is a firebrand performer who has the ability to stand up and deliver to those who wrong her constituents. As president of the TUC she needs no gender referencing or appeal to hold her own and fight for the cause of the workers.
Recently Ms. Burton led the workers in protest against the Post Office Management and called for the Chairman, Bishop Juan Edghill, to go. Ms. Burton vociferously spoke out against the government wrongs at the Square of the Revolution on the People Movement for Justice platform. During the 2006 elections campaign Ms. Burton was arguably one of the better speakers.
Ms. Burton’s leadership should be the focus, not her gender. She need not believe that because she is woman she is inferior/superior, incapable of performing, deserving of sympathy/protection, has to fight with or dismiss her male comrades in order to ensure her relevance.
The trade union is dealing with the same employers, with the same attitudes, in the same society, which requires non-gender/co-gender experience and aggression for the movement to succeed.
Yours faithfully,
Brenda Bobb
