Dear Editor,
ON page 14 of the Sunday edition of the Guyana Times Newspaper (14.01.2018) there was a story captioned ‘50% Severance payment not enough — GTUC.’

As a Vice-President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, I would like to make it pellucid that the executive of our organisation never had any discussion on the closure of the sugar estates and the resulting effects same would have on the workers and the economy, among other things. Those concerns expressed are obviously that person’s personal view, which is his or her constitutional right to self-expression.

What is dangerous about his or her exuberant excursion into such matters is that such singular utterances could well fuel Guyana’s simmering political and racial insecurities, therefore it is of utmost importance that the GTUC treat with this matter as a collective.

Even though severance payment is earned consistent with the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, there could be circumstances that may well determine if an employer has the’ Means’ to make a one-off payment. What is honourable and quite clear, is the present government’s public declaration that the sugar workers will be paid half of their severance now and the other half later in the year 2018. A public statement was made, thereby cementing a guarantee, which is much more than some labour organisation can match, since they owe many of their retired staff severance and salaries earned. Many years have passed and they are still to be paid.

It is indeed very honourable of that person whom I am sure is a GTUC executive to show solidarity with the severed sugar workers and more so the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), the labour organisation under whose umbrella the sugar worker unions fall. The GTUC needs to have internal discussions as a collective, then have discussions with FITUG, followed by a joint press release, if necessary.

However, one ought not to forget that under the previous government FITUG was treated with royalty comparably to what Roman ruler Caligula had conferred on his horse. 1) What is also worthy of note under the same government, when the bauxite industry was being dismantled the affected workers did not receive their severance immediately. What they got was the money from their pension plan. 2) With Rusal, a former chief labour officer was employed there as a labour consultant who seemed bent on ensuring that there was a counter to every labour violation that the workers objected to. 3) The former government had stopped the Critchlow Labour College subvention, but ensured that GAWU got subventions for their Labour College in Kingston, Georgetown.

Under the PPP government, there were many brutal labour violations including the three mentioned above and ironically with its open assault on labour and the GTUC in particular, FITUG was silent. The question is asked, Were they patiently and quietly awaiting the death and burial of the GTUC? In closing, I would like to see this ‘Standard Bearer’ of trade union militancy and solidarity, display the same passion on behalf of the Guyana Postal and Telecommunications Workers Union members (An affiliate of the GTUC), who are presently fighting for their very survival.

Regards
Eon Andrews
Vice-President, GTUC