IN an editorial, January 15, 2018 and captioned “GuySuCo is the nation’s business”, we referred to “…pivotal moments in a nation’s history that define its moral character; sense of well-being, and sense of mission”.

It was further pointed out, “That these do not necessarily have to be instances that threaten the actual existence of the nation; but they can be described as challenges that will arise to test its better understanding of itself; its strengths as a people; and how well working together can find solutions to whatever that heightened moment will be”.

This was a call for rising to the highest ideals of the nation for a pooling of its resources for a matter involving the national interest–resolving the issues in the unproductive sugar industry, especially on matters involving severance pay for 4000 of its workers.

The groundbreaking meeting between a government team, headed by President David Granger, Guyana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) sugar unions and their delegations, followed this call.

It was a deliberation that showed what can be achieved when critical issues confront the nation – consensus on the way forward. Of course, there would have been those–the spoilers–who had hoped for failure of the discussions, so as to continue their stratagem of seeking political mileage out of a tragedy for which they bear full responsibility.

It was heartening that both sides did conclude an understanding on the way forward, specifically on the question of severance pay and other related issues relative to the future and the way forward for the sugar corporation, and of course–the workers.

But there are those who will continue their sordid attempts at doing everything possible, in their continuing selfish and anti-national efforts at stoking an environment of fear and ethnic insecurity for the affected sugar workers. And this is despite the finalised agreement as to the payment of severance.

Therefore, GAWU’s leader’s report in the media of a smear campaign against him, as evidenced by a Guyana Times story, is an attempt to perpetuate the strategy of non-cooperation with the coalition, even on a matter that is of critical human proportions as the welfare of the sugar workers.

For all the political opposition statements as to representing the best interests of the sugar workers, this latest act presents yet incontrovertible evidence as to their well-known traditional, selfish use of the sugar workers, exposing all their pretence.

Where is the patriotism that should have come from the political opposition party, to be absent from such important deliberations on a matter critical to the national interest? Does it need to be reminded that its very actions continue to betray the political support that it has continually received from the sugar industry?

It has to be an act of political vileness for elements within the political opposition to attempt to criticise the GAWU union leader for seeking to represent his union membership at talks with the government. Notwithstanding his role in what has happened to GuySuCo, he has accepted his responsibilities, as union leader in very difficult circumstances, for an industrial tragedy for which he must bear partial responsibility.

In doing so, he is seeking to represent his membership; arriving at a number of mutually accepted positions of benefit to his union’s members. What is wrong with cooperating with the government towards such a noble end? What does the PPP/C opposition fear?