Dear Editor,
I am a retired employee of the Guyana Telecommunications Corporation (GTC) and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T). I was employed with GTC in the year 1969 and I resigned as a Technical Officer (TO) in the year 1990. I was reemployed with GT&T in the year 1994 after that company replaced GTC. I have given 42 years of service to both telephone institutions of which staff who were employed or transferred to Linden were paid Station Allowances. The Memoranda of Agreement between those companies and the Postal and Telecommunications Workers Union were withheld.
On my return to GT&T in the year 1994, two former colleagues and I who were new staff members of the Linden Exchange were refused payment of Station Allowance. As Chairman of the Linden Chapter of the PTWU then, I represented that issue which engaged the attention of Mr. Pat Carmichael who was then Administrative Manager and after carefully perusing the Memorandum of Agreement Article #23, he agreed with the others that Station Allowance must be paid and be retroactive immediately in order to avoid complications. Thanks to him and others who took time off to consult with the Legal Professionals in order to resolve that matter.
The GT&T Company has now changed to GTT+ which has shown a total disregard for its employees and their Union by discontinuing the payment of Station Allowance to the Linden staff. Also, some of the senior functionaries address staff in writing as contributors instead of Dear Staff, Dear Colleagues or fellow workers.
Today the PTWU officials seem unable, unwilling or afraid to represent workers which is an indication of retrogression. I sincerely hope officials from the Department of Labour look into this matter very soon.
Labour is cheap in Guyana. Station Allowance shouldn’t be an issue for GTT+
Yours faithfully,
B. Winslow Parris
