Slavery was abolished long ago!!

Sep 28, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
I would be grateful if my letter can be published so that the Ministry of Labour can intervene into the working facility of some businesses and how underpaid many workers are getting.
There’s an Internet cafe at the Harbour Bridge Mall where the staff has to work from 9am -9pm Monday to Saturday for a mere $2000 per day. I was there a day when the owner told a staff member that she would have to clean the place (sweep and mop plus clean the washroom) for just $2000 per day. My question is do you think it is right for a staff to clean its working environment also?
I then ventured into another location owned by the said owner at Sheriff and Craig Streets and was amazed also with deterioration of the working environment that the staff have to abide with.
The washroom is in a worse state. I wouldn’t even allow myself to use it.What is even worse is that the staff don’t even get lunch hour; they work and eat at the same time…How healthy can that be?
As I inquired since I was curious I was told that they don’t even get leave working there. If they are sick and should stay home they won’t be paid at all or even at the end of the year be given a bonus.
I know it is a private business and one would say that if the workers don’t like what they go through that they should leave. But what happens if there is nothing else to do?
I made a call to the Ministry but was told that only if I happen to be a worker I could make such complain. I think the staff just don’t want to say anything.
What I think should be done is an unexpected check up at certain business places by the Ministry.
Subrina Singh

7 thoughts on “Slavery was abolished long ago!!”

Shine September 28, 2011 at 6:32 am

Where are the labour laws?
PadvanWanicaman September 28, 2011 at 6:58 am

Subrina Singh;

Go and get as life of your own, why complained when you are not involved practically/personally: enveyers:-
1. JC September 28, 2011 at 12:55 pm
  
  Padvan whatever. You aint even writing a letter only criticizing the goodly letter writer.
  1. rekniht September 28, 2011 at 1:19 pm
    
    he’s bitter like our friends ,, i gon whistle ,, while u call names……. aaaww ,, c’mon ,, y’al know am talking abt the fraternal order professors ,, ‘bubalup’ an ‘wannabe’….
Alexander Collins September 28, 2011 at 9:49 am

Sadly this kind of exploitation is rampant all over Guyana while all the relevant authorities turn blind eyes. The response from the Ministry should give an idea of what goes on; the poor employees wont complain for fear of victimization or worse and someone else raises the issue and is told nothing can be done because they’re not a worker… Meanwhile, the workers union and opposition parties are nowhere to be seen. Sad but hopeless case… Such is life in Guyana.
dannyvid September 28, 2011 at 1:26 pm

Come to North America and see if the condition still that exist in some aspect of something that is called work. Get life and do something for your country .
Gewt September 28, 2011 at 2:28 pm

Dear Sabrina, English Slavery was officially abolished in 1838, yet they found a way to bring Indentured workers to Guyana under conditions of near-slavery. In Brazil, where the Poruguese abolished slavey in 1888, even today hundreds of thousands of workers in the Amazon Region are forced to work under conditions that are sometimes worse than slavery. So, it is just a question of policy and practice. Many times there is not enough supervision of the laws and so the practice continues.Capitalist labour, if not supervised, can result in abuses like you mentioned.Where there is corruption everyone feels they are free to do as the officials do. So they break or ignore the laws. The ones who suffer are those at the bottom, just like in times of “Slavery”.