Workers are tired of unity tirades

May 07, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
Workers are fed-up. They are not impressed by the unity rants. They are tried of the yearly unity shout fest.
Union leaders, whose salaries are paid by union dues, think they are fooling workers in believing that they are working for them when they shout unity.
Here’s the reality. Union leaders own many vehicles and fancy houses on income paid by workers’ dues, while workers cannot afford a bus fare, own a home, pay their bills and feed their family.

There are union leaders who are paid salary similar to that of the most senior public servant, while union membership is shrinking and unions’ properties are in deplorable conditions.
There are union leaders who are parliamentarians, receiving parliamentary income, duty free concession and traveling at the taxpayers’ expense. Union leaders are telling employers to divert employees earned production bonus to the unions and get upset when workers say no.

Then there are union leaders who are using the unions to get a paycheck, do nothing for the workers and feel if they shout unity the loudest and attack other unions, workers will think they are fighting for them. Finally, there are union leaders supporting government wrongdoing in and out of parliament.
These are the leaders shouting the loudest for unity and if the media were to investigate and report, workers will know the truth.

Stop the pretense and gamesmanship. All the PPP bigwigs attended FITUG rally, the federation fashioned in the image and likeness of the government. The problem with the GTUC, the media and rank and file workers are that they are held captive to the unity bait set by the PPP and FITUG. The GTUC has become victim of a propaganda that immobilizes and discredits it. Sometime back the media reported Mr. Carvil Duncan, now FITUG General Secretary, but then GTUC President saying GAWU and NAACIE are not interested in unity.

Now workers are hearing at this year FITUG rally that these unions want unity and GTUC doesn’t want it. Remember, it was the 1999 public service strike and shooting of strikers that FITUG was resuscitated by unions who supported the government treatment of the strikers. If Mr. Duncan, Mr. Culbard, GAWU and NAACIE changed their minds then FITUG has to go back to the GTUC. Or tell us what the GTUC has done to prevent them going back. The burden of proof is it that of FITUG not the GTUC!

I want to clearly say to the GTUC leadership: the suffering workers want unity around their interests. Here’s hoping the GTUC can recognise and appreciate this. Workers do not care for unity just for unity sake. Get that right and start representing workers and stop participating in the shout fest.
Shawn Dalrymple