No migrant workers or no Marriott?

The Opposition-led ranting and wailing about the rights of foreign workers employed in Guyana is beyond understanding. It is indeed shameful of them to target this specific batch of Chinese nationals working in Guyana, when they did not look to their own.
There have been multiple claims of discrimination against Guyanese working

abroad, specifically in Barbados and other Caribbean nations. Yet the Opposition did not speak up for them, nor demanded that they be accorded their rights.
Further, it is surprising (or not) that statistics garnered for 1988 showed that approximately half of the country’s physicians in the health sector were expatriates from communist countries, such as Cuba and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), who were assigned to work in Guyana as part of bilateral agreements. These foreign professionals experienced significant language and cultural difficulties in dealing with patients.

The ruling People’s National Congress (PNC) party at that time had brought them in to supplement the functioning of the sector. That same party, now the major component of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), is whining over a single construction company employing foreign nationals when foreign nationals at one time were employed in 50% of a critical, major sector in Guyana, and there were no objections that such a move prevented qualified Guyanese from staying home.
This should explain why, despite setbacks, the appetite of the main political opposition remains undaunted. The PNC seems also to have forgotten the introduction of Mass Games in Guyana in the 1980s, and the importation of Korean technicians to train students to depict then President Burnham’s image in revolutionary motifs; again there were no objections.
Going back further, in the 1970s, the PNC leader offered Guyana as a refuge for all African freedom fighters (and Black militants), and also made financial contributions to their movements. No objections.
Not to be ignored, he welcomed cult leader Jim Jones, who paid US$2M million to the government and, David Hill (Rabbi Washington), despite the latter having a criminal record in the U.S., to have residence in Guyana. We all know what the results of those actions were.
Guyana indeed has a plentiful supply of low-skilled labour. However, years of emigration have produced a severe shortage of skilled workers. Many U.S. businesses have experienced difficulty in finding and retaining skilled employees.
Aroaima Bauxite Company (1989) is a 50/50 joint venture between the U.S. firm Reynolds International and the Government of Guyana. Reynolds’ total investment in Guyana is $100M, including amounts it has invested in building a deep-water port facility at the mouth of the Berbice River. Migrant workers are employed.
Barama Timber Company (1991) is a South Korean/Malaysian joint venture which is logging a 4.4 million acre concession in the northwest region and exporting plywood manufactured at their Georgetown plant. Barama has invested $88M in Guyana. Migrant workers are employed at Barama.
UNAMCO/Case Timbers (1997) is a Guyanese/Malaysian plywood venture. It has been granted timber concessions for 400,000 acres and has invested approximately $49M for its operations. Migrant workers are employed here.
The rural mining communities rely upon a great deal of migrant labour. No objections.
There have been numerous calls by the Opposition for international assistance to institute reforms in Guyana. This would mean migrant workers.
So, what’s the beef? No migrant workers in Guyana?
The bottom line is that the AFC is clearly against the building of the Marriott because the owner of the Pegasus Hotel, who is one of their own, is against its construction. His hotel will definitely be unable to compete with an international franchise as the Marriott.

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