Dear Editor,
The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) rejects the act of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to terminate 300 plus workers. The effort by Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shaik Baksh, to present the case that last year GWI suffered about $1B in losses and since his assumption the company has returned to a surplus, yet he is moving to dismiss predominantly African workers, is an attempt at deception for the real reason for placing workers on the breadline. If the company performed badly when those workers were there, and is having a surplus when they are still there, any suggested problem in GWI clearly is not labour.
Any industrial relations upset in the essential services should be of grave concern to this nation, whether real or manufactured. GTUC calls on GWI to provide reasons why they cannot afford to keep these workers when they’re claiming they are already in surplus. Let GWI put the finances of the company out for public review. The CEO must show the nation the financial analysis for laying off hundreds of workers.
GTUC asks the CEO and the Irfaan Ali regime, what about the socio-economic wellbeing of these workers and the communities within which they exist? Does this matter for the African labour force? GTUC notes the continued double standards in treatment to different workers. Some have expressed the view that whereas the regime is injecting billions to save the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), that is non profitable and bleeding the Treasury in order to provide socio-economic support to sugar workers and their communities, the same is not being done for other employees.
GWI within the last five years had undergone massive infrastructural expansion, service and improved quality of water. Human resources are needed to maintain the service. Instructively under Baksh’s leadership the service is deteriorating.
It is further noted that where these workers are predominantly Africans their unemployment will affect the economic conditions of the African community. The same situation obtains for the Bauxite Company Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) where hundreds remain unemployed, in an ongoing industrial dispute that has never been resolved consistent with the Labour Laws and under the guidance of the responsible Ministry of Labour. Whereas the affected workers will not identify as a community, because they are not concentrated in one industry or sector, these workers belong to households and communities and their displacement will have socio-economic impact.
Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis
General Secretary
Guyana Trades Union Congress
