Dear Editor,
IN another desperate attempt to be seen as relevant to the political environment, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo has announced that his party, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) will be paying the legal fees for sugar workers to resort to the courts with regards to the non-payment of their full severance pay.

Editor, as a leader Bharat Jagdeo lacks the moral high ground as far as seeking to speak for and on behalf of sugar workers. This latest pronouncement is as false and hollow and immoral as the man who utters such an intention. As the leader of the party and former government that has destroyed the livelihoods of thousands within the industry, how can he now offer legal representation? And for what? How can he accuse the government of sending the sugar workers to the “breadline, as he so scandalously claim? Where does his conscience exist? Does he have any?

What has he offered as solutions to the GuySuCo debacle, despite being invited to do so? Leaders of his ilk do not exist in other jurisdictions, because they are never tolerated, nor trusted; and are not given any space in the media to speak. Seeking to initiate court action on behalf of the sugar workers against the government, can best be seen as an attempt to undermine the position of the GAWU leader who engaged the government on the very issue for which Jagdeo is now offering paid legal representation.

From a purely layman’s perspective, it would seem to me that there was an agreement between the coalition government and the GAWU as to the methodology of payment of severance to the affected workers. This position would have been accepted by GAWU, which is recognised as the legitimate representative union body for the sugar workers. How can this be challenged in court?

Apart from seeking to undermine Komal Chand, as the union leader – it is also a purely political strategy which sole design is to drive a wedge between the GAWU and the coalition government’s working together to steer the crippled industry to safer shores.

Regards
Earl Hamilton