Dear Mr. Editor,
Permit me to make a few comments about the ‘debate’ being aired on NCN. Firstly, I would like to know if we can classify what takes place as debate or talk show of the government. I can remember the President and other functionaries admitting that there is corruption in Guyana but what happens on the programme is a denial of this very fact. In other words there is no corruption in Guyana.
Frankly, I do not tune in to NCN since what we see in Linden are government’s brainwashing programmes. However, on turning on my TV I noticed Mr Nandlall, Dr Gopaul and Mr Duncan trying to justify the former president’s pension. What caused me to stay tuned was the repeated statement of these gentlemen that the former president deserves a good life after retirement from public life. Editor, is the former president an alien or a human being living in Guyana? Is he the only Guyanese who deserves a good life after retirement? What about all other Guyanese public servants? What happens to the maids, cleaners, janitors and others of that category, existing in Linden, who have laboured and slaved for over twenty years and retire without a pension? They have not even received letters of appointment. There are others who are offered benefits in lieu of pension but are being short changed.
For Mr Duncan what about the workers of the Linden Town Council who have not received an increase in salary for five years? Don’t they deserve a good life? The bauxite workers also deserve a good life. Dr Gopaul as Minister of Labour knows that every year the government refuses to sit and negotiate a wages and benefit package for public servants. One hundred dollars out-of-pocket allowance for public servants − does that contribute to a good life? We are in the month of September yet there have been no meaningful discussions for increases for public servants.
I would like to say to these gentlemen that Guyana would never agree with the pension unless all Guyanese are treated equally and afforded a salary and retirement benefits that can afford them a good life.
Yours faithfully,
Maurice Butters
IRO- GPSU
Region 10
