Dear Editor

I have been following the activities of a trade unionist and vice president of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, Eon Andrews, and what is clear to see is that this trade unionist is the only labour leader who seems to be working in the true sense of a worker representative.

What makes his work more significant is that he has chosen to venture in the realm of the non-traditional worker arena, the very contentious minibus and market vendor sector and, if one was to judge from the print and electronic media revelations, he is succeeding in his quest to organise this large mass of workers.

One just has to look at the University of Guyana minibus drivers and conductors, the Tuschen hire car drivers among others, not to forget that he is now attempting to initiate a Code of Conduct for public transportation providers in collaboration with the Ministry of Business and other stakeholders. It is also refreshing to note that the new Mayor of Georgetown is prepared to engage Mr Andrews and, by extension, the Guyana Market Vendors Union, of which he is the president, something Town Clerk Royston King and the previous Council, for some strange reason, was very reluctant to do.

One cannot fail to surmise that otherwise to Mr Andrews, only Norris Witter, a national awardee and a Commissioner on the Ethnic Relations Commission; Andrew Garnett, Vice Chairman of the Local Government Commission; and to a lesser extent Coretta Mc Donald, General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers Union; and Sherwood Clarke, President of the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union, seem to have any relevance.

Many of the other maximum leaders have suddenly become politicians and oil specialists. I say to Eon Andrews, continue what you are doing, you are on the right path. The survival of the Trade Union Congress may well depend on you and other second tier leaders who have a vision for and is prepared to make that unselfish sacrifice for the workers of Guyana, especially the workers who need representation.

Regards
Joel Alexander
Stanleytown, W.B.D.