– of joint statement with FITUG

Dear Editor,

I WOULD like to refer to a story captioned, “GTUC-FITUG rally against move to transfer GuySuCo back to Agri Ministry”, which was published on Page 21 of the 07.04.2018 edition of the Kaieteur News.

I would first like to state that the head of the Guyana Trades Union Congress is Sis Coretta Mc Donald. Bro Lincoln Lewis is the GTUC general-secretary,a person so appointed by the GTUC executive council to manage its secretariat, to carry out its decisions, and to advise the executive on request or when necessary.

At a joint meeting between the GTUC and FITUG last Friday (06.04.2018) at the GTUC Headquarters, which was conducted in a very cordial atmosphere, it was agreed and endorsed by both parties that we will do all things together, including our 2018 wreath-laying and May Day activities.

It was also acknowledged that labour has to start speaking with one voice, since it was assumed, whether real or perceived, that labour was under threat in Guyana.
The GTUC Executive, at that meeting, was in total agreement with FITUG that labour’s survival can only be guaranteed through a united labour movement.
Many other things were highlighted and discussed that both organisations committed to embarking on in partnership, or to the benefit of our general membership, but at no time was the caption aforementioned highlighted or discussed.

Of course, we are concerned and in sympathy with the plight of the retrenched sugar workers and the ensuing challenges faced by the sugar workers’ unions, but it is unfair and very disrespectful for our general-secretary to be making a press release with our sister labour organisation on a very contentious labour issue that has serious national, political and to a great extent, racial implications that the GTUC executive had no knowledge of nor the contents therein.

It would then be safe to assume that the concerns expressed in that press release are the general-secretary’s personal view, to which he is entitled.
Finally, it is my personal view that some of our labour leaders behave as though they are a law unto themselves; they are no longer a servant of the workers or their respective organisations. They operate as though they own them.

Regards
EON ANDREWS
Vice-President (GTUC)