THE budgetary cuts of over $21B, while threatening to delay the continuity of the many socio-economic programmes planned for the nation’s advancement, have also   concomitantly placed on the breadline the jobs of over 300 persons. As a matter of fact, the future economic outlook for these victims of the political opposition’s spiteful and vindictive behaviour, are now as uncertain as the weather. One can simply imagine the stress that these hardworking staffers and, by extension, their families are at the moment experiencing.
And as is customary, after causing such grave  damage, the parliamentary opposition   miscreants have now embarked on a damage-control exercise, seeking to not only sell their  economically murderous cuts, but the reasons as well.
One of these is the well known, militant trade unionist, Lincoln Lewis, the Guyana Trade Union Congress General Secretary, who was not on  such an exercise  as his opposition pals; but, who instead was threatening  union action against the government should they put “workers on the line for political purposes” during his May Day address at the Critchlow Labour College.
What a statement coming from someone who ought to know better, but who is deliberately contradicting the train of events leading up to the current impasse!
Mr. Lewis must know that it was the political opposition whom he supports that initiated the cuts with all the frightening consequences that now threatens. And here at this point, one must assume that as a very senior leader, that he would have had prior knowledge as to such a decision. If he did, then why did he not forewarn of the dire results that the workers are now facing?
The blame must lie at the political opposition’s door, at which he must direct his threats of political action on these workers behalf. They are the ones, who have brought these hardworking people to a standstill.
May he be reminded, that his job as a trade unionist is to be militant for working-class rights, even against those who are his friends.  Everyone may recall his well known fight against the former PNC regime on matters of principle, for which he was applauded. He must do so once again at this challenging time.