THE economic impact of social unrest in the bauxite-mining town of Linden is set to hit Region 10 like a ton of bricks. With rumours of the Linden Call Centre in very real danger of losing its overseas contracts, over 130 persons are already preparing to join the breadline. That number will increase considering the number of dependants each worker has.
Bosai operations have been shut down temporarily resulting in huge financial losses in production, and approximately 600 employees affected. Additionally, with the banks allegedly out of liquid cash, it is not clear how they will be paid, or if they will be able to access it through the ATM machines which are also allegedly empty.
No doubt, the Alliance For Change, who were the initial movers for the protest action, will call it all ‘collateral damage’.
The call centre has been out of operation for almost three weeks due to the Linden unrest, an issue that is of no interest to the overseas clients, save and except for the way in which it affects business. Since it has affected business, the threat looms steadily closer, as reports coming out of Linden indicate that officials at the call centre were allegedly informed that one overseas client no longer requires the services of the centre since the business cannot fulfil its obligations.
Also to be taken into consideration is the glaring fact that investors have already begun to think twice about bringing new projects in Linden, or expanding the old ones. One investor allegedly walked away from Linden and his scheme to invest in a water park with the capability of creating employment for around 100 persons, another economic fallout which will deeply affect the many persons living there who had no part in the protest, but who nevertheless, would suffer the consequences.
One thousand jobs could have been created with the expansion of Bosai, and the unrest has caused the principals to seriously review the expansion.
In the spin-off, sawmills around the country will soon be unable to function due to lack of lumber, and workers will be sent home. Suppliers will be faced with legal battles for not fulfilling their obligations on time, and foreign buyers are cancelling orders.
Lindeners stand to lose the most as some continue to participate in the opposition-backed and organised protests in the mining town, which has resulted in the burning of public buildings, blocking roads and destroying private properties.
The Linden tariff increase is not new, and was first approached by former Prime Minister Forbes Burnham who pointed to the need to bring the mining town on to the national grid several years ago.
An assessment of the aftermath of the “peaceful protest” organised by the two Parliamentary Opposition Parties, APNU and AFC, has shown more damage to the economic circumstances of many Lindeners. Persons who worked with Digicel may have lost their jobs when the store was looted and smashed by alleged criminal elements. If Digicel absorbs the workers into other locations, the transportation cost will be hard to bear. The dependants of these workers will also feel the squeeze.
The workers at the Linmine building that was burnt by protestors will also have to be placed elsewhere within the company. If not, they will join the call centre employees on the breadline.
It is not coincidental that with any opposition-organised protest the fallout spreads across the country in an adverse manner that affects all around them.
The mining community is on edge and under siege with the losses being suffered as a result of the blockages. Supplies have run out, both fuel and food. What little that does manage to get through now costs almost 200% more. Fuel is being sold for $75,000 per barrel and chicken $800 per pound, while the basic staples have also rocketed sky high.
This is the economic disaster which is affecting all the people of Linden and beyond, created by a few who have been used by their political masters to destroy a township.
Why then does the blockade remain? To ensure that the good, decent people in Linden are not allowed out to give vent to their views that are different from those who seem hell-bent on aggressively pursuing the opposition agenda to create anarchy in the streets and among the people of Guyana.
The fact that there is an economic fallout and more than 300 persons are in danger of going on the breadline, and more than 1100 prospective jobs thrown away, shows very clearly that the people of Linden have been lied to, used and manipulated, by the politicians.
The consequences are already being seen. Criminal elements are already entrenched in the region, pretending to be part of the blockade put up by the township. Instead, they are allegedly beating and robbing persons under the pretext of maintaining the blockades.
They then turn against each other as was the case on Saturday, when one man was stabbed. It was reported that during a row over money collected as toll at one of the roadblocks set up by protesters in Linden, a row ensued after the monies collected was not divided equally among those manning the roadblock just outside the mining town.
Preliminary reports coming out of the National Toshaos Conference which opened yesterday indicate that many Amerindian leaders heading to Georgetown to attend the conference were refused passage through Linden.
The law-abiding citizens of Linden who are in the majority, must speak out at the atrocities perpetrated against them by those who claim to be their own.