Dear Editor,
The Guyana Market Vendors Union wishes to bring to public attention that it is a legally registered trade union established with the objective of working with vendors at their various places of trade in Georgetown and elsewhere with a view to improving their circumstances, including the conditions under which they work.
The union has twice written to Town Clerk Royston King requesting to meet with him with a view to introducing the leadership and seeking to establish a mechanism for reliable channels of communication in matters pertaining to the welfare of stallholders/vendors. The Town Clerk has responded by requesting that the union submit a slew of documents as a prerequisite for a meeting. We believe that in circumstances where the nature of the meeting does not go beyond the status of a courtesy call, the Town Clerk ought, surely, to be satisfied with a credential attesting to the legitimacy of the union. That credential has been provided. The union is of the view that given the conditions outlined by the Town Clerk he considers it important that nothing stands between him and his fixation about controlling the hapless vendors. Reference is made to the Saturday September 10 issue of the Stabroek News where it is reported an “agreement” was reached between “the vendors” and “the council” pertaining to procedures associated with trading, including the disposal of trading waste. The Stabroek News story also alludes to the establishment of a committee of individuals to represent them and to negotiate to improve their standards and appoint marshals from among themselves to assist with keeping the area clean and tidy. While the union is unaware of this arrangement, we wish to make it clear that we are supportive of any initiative that seeks to improve the environment in which the vendors work, while adhering to the standards and requirements set by the George-town municipality.
Accordingly, and against the backdrop of the ongoing unionization exercise targeting vendors, the union is already engaging and speaking for its members and wishes to make clear our intention to continue to do so. Once again we call on the Town Clerk to meet with us in order to lay the foundation for the start of this important process.
Yours faithfully,
Eon Andrews
President
Guyana Market Vendors Union
