PRIME Minister Sam Hinds, who represented the Guyana Government at the Second Triennial Delegates’ Conference of the Clerical & Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) held last weekend at the Hotel Tower, Main Street, has taken issue with a report published in the Guyana Times newspaper.
The forum was held under the theme“ Rekindling the confidence of workers in trade unions through more robust and efficient representation,” with the featured speaker at the opening being General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union, Sir Leroy Trotman.
But the Prime Minister noted in a letter to the editor of the newspaper that if the article headlined “Labour Movement being raided by politicians,”  was intended as a synopsis of Sir Roy’s presentation , then it is “ inaccurate, and ends up being distorted and misleading.”
According to the Prime Minister, where the word raid appears in the address, the impression is of raiding between unions and not raiding by politicians.
In his address, Sir Leroy reminded those present that the time has come when the membership of the CCWU will have to prove themselves by swimming against the tide, and referred to the conference theme which he said is a “very clear indication that some among you are willing to confront the heavy challenge which faces you,…and is an excellent call to arms for  CCWU at this juncture.”
He shared some thoughts with the conference, in the hope that they understand the need “to speak frankly and brutally to the issues” which confront membership of the union, and particularly which confront the labour movement in Guyana.
Sir Leroy who warned that “the Trade Union fires in Guyana have been drenched by too much political dissension , too much union raiding and too much internal fighting,” and expressed the hope  that the CCWU will reflect on those occasions when it seemed that all hope was lost .
It is his hope too, that the CCWU and the labour movement in this country, generally, will draw strength from the vision that inspired the founding fathers and that it will learn from the experiences, to which he had alluded.
He further urged that the CCWU not seek to deny the past but instead build on it. It must too, re-strategise, re-work, recruit, re-energize, re-tool and rekindle.
Prime Minister Hinds, expressing his concern of a missed opportunity for a very important discussion, said the reporter missed what in his view was the main thrust of the presentation, if he /she followed the address beyond the point of being brutally frank.
“ Your report gives the impression that Sir Leroy accepted and endorsed without question, the theme calling for more robust representation,” said PM Hinds and suggested that the newspaper consider reproducing Sir Leroy’s address in its entirety, with a view to initiating an important discussion about  whether the ever-present contradictions at the work place could and should be handled differently, in different or in particular circumstances leading up to independence and naturalizations and the circumstances  thereafter.