– FITUG President
– says cuts hard to comprehend
‘…we stand ready to vigorously oppose it’
THE Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) said it views with great dismay the proposed budget cuts by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) that seek to eliminate the support for GPL, the Amaila falls hydro project and cuts aimed at eliminating contract employees from a series of ministries.
FITUG represents over 35,000 workers and is extremely disappointed with APNU who claims to be representing the working class. “If these cuts were effected, GPL will have no option but to implement the 19.5% tariff increase that GPL filed with the PUC (Public Utilities Commission)  in January of this year,” according to Carvil Duncan, President of FITUG.

Duncan, in a statement last night, said this will increase the cost of living to the 160,000+ GPL customers and hurt the poor and vulnerable the most.  Businesses may also cut back on employment when faced with such an increase, he said.   As has been clearly provided to  Parliament, Duncan said this increase is to support the escalating price of fuel facing the country, including GPL. He also noted that the proposed cut to the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) programme suggest a lack of understanding of this broadly supported programme and clearly would amount to a reversal of years of hard work with the national stakeholder group. “Given that the funds from the LCDS are intended for ‘green projects’ and the hydro is at the heart of allowing Guyana to achieve a reduction in its electricity costs, this cut is hard to comprehend,” the FITUG President lamented. He said if these cuts were to be effected, APNU may cause irreparable damage to the LCDS programme and the funds being secured therefrom. “Other cuts in contract employees appear to be a shortsighted approach and will simply place many persons on the breadline,” Duncan stated.
“As a trade union representing people, we as members of the Federation will not accept any reduction in the workforce, being conscious that such reduction will create greater hardship on the families and we stand ready to vigorously oppose it,” Duncan stated. He said FITUG hopes sanity will prevail and calls on APNU to recognise that its actions will harm mostly the workers and to reverse its position on the proposed cuts. FITUG calls on all who voted for APNU and all working-class employees, to raise their voices and state clearly their opposition to these cuts.  “Playing politics by increasing the cost of living and reducing employment is reckless and should be avoided at all costs,” Duncan said.