High Court halts CCWU’s election

Aug 22, 2010 News

A High Court judge has granted court orders halting today’s elections for a new executive of the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU).
The application for the injunction was filed by the union’s former President, Roy Hughes, who contended, among other things, that he has another court matter challenging the current leadership.
Yesterday, Hughes’ lawyer, Mortimer Codette confirmed that an injunction was granted Friday by Justice Winston Patterson.
While CCWU’s Triennial Congress can continue as normal, dealing with other businesses, the injunction bars the union from conducting the election, Codette said.
In 2008, Hughes took the union to court after claiming that he was dismissed in 2007 while in the US seeking medical attention.
A former Chief Negotiator of CCWU, Hughes had also filed a court action seeking to have the elections at the CCWU Biennial Congress in 2007 declared illegal.
Hughes, whose name has been synonymous with CCWU, one of the major unions in Guyana, had applied for two weeks’ medical leave in 2007 for an amputation of one of his limbs.
However, in October of that year, CCWU’s General Secretary, Grantley Culbard, wrote Hughes dismissing him for his unexplained absence.
In Hughes’s absence, during the Congress, elections were held where new office bearers were voted in.
According to documents filed in the High Court by Hughes’s lawyer, the election was not held in accordance to the rules of the union nor was CCWU General President, Fitzgerald Agard, properly elected.
Hughes requested fresh elections.
The Ministry of Labour had also filed charges against the union for violation of labour regulations- for among other things, failing to give proper notice, and violating the Severance Act.

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19-year-old returns from India after kidney transplant

– Mother donated kidney
Shureen Regbeer, 38, and her son Satesh Gobin, 19, of Five Seaview, Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, returned last Sunday from a six weeks trip to India, following a successful kidney transplant.
The woman had donated one of her kidneys to her son.

Satesh Gobin after he returned from India

In an interview with this newspaper, Satesh related that he fell sick in February last and was diagnosed with kidney failure.
Upon learning this, his parents Shureen Regbeer and James Gobin began requesting assistance for him to travel to India to have a transplant surgery, since both parents were willing to donate their kidney.
He said that while waiting to travel to India, he received dialysis twice a week, which was very costly on his parents. However, on the 12 June 2010, he was given the opportunity to travel to India by the Three Rivers Kids Foundation, a charitable organisation in Ontario, Canada, and the Ministry of Health.
Satesh underwent a successful kidney transplant on June 23, 2010. According to Jeanette Singh, Head of the Three Rivers Kids Foundation, the cost of Satesh’s trip to India was approximately US$36,000.
This included airfares, cost of the surgery, accommodation and food for six weeks, one year of medication and other miscellaneous expenses in India.
The Ministry of Health contributed US$5,000 and Three Rivers Kids Foundation paid the remaining portion.
A jovial Satesh said he thanked God and the organisations that assisted him, and especially his loving mother for the opportunity to live a normal life.
“I thank everybody for their assistance and their generosity. Relatives, neighbours, friends, and the public who donated and gave me strength….may God bless them all.” Satesh said.
Satesh exchanged place with Rockel Gladstone, 20, of Kimbia, Berbice River, who left Guyana Saturday last for India to undergo a much needed kidney transplant. That trip is also made possible by Three Rivers Kids Foundation.