THE Guyana Local Government Officers Union (GLGOU) and the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) have made it clear that they  and their members are not prepared to work with Acting Georgetown Town Clerk Carol Sooba.
The unions made the declaration after their representatives met with Mayor Hamilton Green, Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and other Councillors, for almost five hours yesterday, to address issues affecting municipal workers.
Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle following the meeting, GLGOU President Dale Beresford disclosed that pay was not the only issue affecting the membership.
He said there are several other matters that continue to affect workers of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and were conveyed to Sooba but she has failed, in every meaning of the word, to settle them and even communicate with the union.
Beresford said the Town Clerk also had not acknowledged their many letters to her but the union has been able to meet all the other parties with whom it has concerns.
The trade unionist said that they expect to have an appointment today at the Local Government Ministry, where some critical matters will be discussed and at the top of that list will be the removal of the Acting Town Clerk, with whom workers are determined they are unable to work.
Asked about the next move should the Town Clerk remain in the position, Beresford said, if that happens, the strike will continue.
He said the workers are adamant that they will not be working with Sooba for several reasons.
The today meeting had been scheduled for earlier in the week but was put off after Sooba, who set the date, did not turn up and forced the cancellation.
Beresford maintained that, if today’s appointment is not kept, the union’s demands, including the removal of the Town Clerk, would still be pressed and the members have nothing to lose.
He said that the Ministers in the Local Government Ministry will have to decide if they would allow the city to be shut down by one person, who has no respect for people’s time and the welfare of workers.
GLU representative Clearance Whitehead said he hopes for a resolution to the issues affecting workers today through compromise but not compromising over the removal of Sooba.
He said anyone who understands the reason for their actions and management will also see the importance of settling the issues.