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Agri Ministry accounts staff ordered to hand over to private contractors

Nov 19, 2008 News

The accounts staff of the Ministry of Agriculture who have been relocated to the Hydrometeorological Office at Brickdam feel that they are being dumped for speaking their minds on the recent asbestos disposal by the Ministry.
Yesterday, they reportedly received orders to hand over all their work with immediate effect to private contractors.
The workers claimed that yesterday the Agriculture Ministry’s Deputy Permanent Secretary, Prema Ramanah Roopnarine, visited their Brickdam office and told them that she had received reports that they were not working as they should.
According to the irate workers, Mrs. Roopnarine then instructed them to hand over all of their works to some private contractors who were in their office at the time.
“We were told that the order came from the Minister of Agriculture and we questioned the order and we were told not to,” the workers said.
They said that at that point they all bluntly refused to hand over their ledgers and files to the person who were standing over them, ready to take their work. They claimed that they were then told to put their refusal in writing which they refused to do as well.
“We said we didn’t receive anything in writing and we will not put anything in writing,” the workers said.
According to the workers even if the Deputy Permanent Secretary had received reports that they were not working efficiently then the fittest thing to do would have been for her to check their records. The workers added that all of their daily transactions are recorded and their records will show that work is being done.
And even what they should not be undertaking, they say that they have been undertaking.
According to the workers they were relocated to the office last Monday after being told that some works were being done in their office.
They claimed that they later found out from the contractor who was carrying out the works that asbestos was being removed.
They said that they were told to relocate which they did and later told that they would return to their main office once the Environmental Protection Agency deemed the place fit to accommodate them.
The workers said that they will continue their work as normal as they have contacted their Union representative.
Meanwhile, Guyana Public Service Union General Secretary, Ms. Chandroutie Persaud, who visited the workers yesterday, said that they are monitoring the situation.
She stated that the union is most concerned with what is taking place and wondered whether the actions were in keeping with the rules and regulation of the Ministry of Finance.
Persaud stated that the union has been trying to meet with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture since last week and has been finding it hard to do so.
“We have been having difficulties and this should not be since it is in the interest of the workers…The manner in which they are treating the worker based on allegation is very alarming…I don’t know if this is true or not. We want to discuss with the Ministry and more so the permanent secretary,” Persaud said.
“Our position is that these are the officers who have the authority to address financial matters and their work should not be handed over just like that,” Persaud said.
A statement from the Ministry noted that the head of the EPA was contacted and he issued guidelines to safeguard health, arranged a visit to the location and found no offending material and recommended that the Ministry contact the Occupational Safety and Health Head.
This was done and an additional visit was made from that department.  “We are awaiting the results of their investigation,” the statement added.

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