LUSCSL hosts informative, insightful symposium

Apr 29, 2012 News

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By Enid Joaquin

The Linden Utility Services Cooperative Society Limited (LUSCSL) on Friday, last, hosted a symposium to highlight the origins, challenges and future of electricity generation and distribution in Linden, and more importantly, to discuss the very survival of LUSCSL, which is responsible for the distribution of electricity on the Wismar shore. The forum also sought to sensitize the public on energy consumption.
Among the panelists who made presentations were CEO of Linmine Horace James, Mr Steve Bovell, trade unionist Lincoln Lewis and Secretary of LUSCSL, Charles Sampson.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Valerie Patterson, and a few board members were also present, as were staff of LUSCSL and important stakeholders, including Chairman of Region Ten, Sharma Solomon, and past chairman, Mortimer Mingo.
Steve Bovell, a former Senior Executive of GPL spoke at length on the history of power generation in Linden. He alluded to the amount of line loss at GPL which he said is about 40%.
“Linden on the other hand does not suffer that level of loss. There is no grid, so there is no physical interconnection, so talking about grid does not make sense. Linden can’t be in the national grid, as that was disconnected six years ago,” Bovell pointed out.
He opined that if consumption could be reduced to about 30%, that would allow for about $60 million a month in savings. He contended that whatever savings is accrued as a result of conservation, could be channeled towards development and economic capacity.

Linmine CEO James, who highlighted several ways to conserve on electricity, advocated for a minimum 33% reduction in energy consumption.
Secretary Sampson, meanwhile, spoke of the history of the Coop, noting that the need for power in Wismar, is what ‘propelled’ the formation of the LUSCSL. Initially starting out with about 25 members, that number has grown to over 4000.
Sampson was also of the opinion that government is not doing enough to encourage conservation. He said that the administration should ban incandescent bulbs, and make energy-saving bulbs available to citizens.
He added that it is important that “they put their money where their mouth is, and only then can we examine consumption patterns”.
LUSCSL Chairman Valerie Patterson and manager of the entity Esme Yangapatty reiterated that conservation must be looked at seriously.
Yangapatty said that LUSCSL had embarked on a conservation programme four years ago, but had not pursued that course as relentlessly as they should have. She promised that the programme will be reinstituted by way of educating consumers on the importance of conservation.
As regards the distribution licence, Yangapatty said, “We have to get our licence, LECI (Linden Electricity Company Incorporated) is only a couple of years old and they got theirs. We are over fifty years old, so we must get ours!”
LUSCSL has reportedly applied for their distribution licences at least five times, and are yet to receive same.
Lincoln Lewis said that both Guyana Bauxite and Guyana Mine Workers Union want to see the preservation of LUSCSL.
He suggested that the government’s intention to merge the electricity coop with LECI will deprive several staff of LUSCSL of their jobs.
“ The union rejects any attempt to put workers on the breadline and commits to stand in solidarity with LUSCSL,” he declared.
Lewis pointed out that in the meantime, the government squanders money every month to rent a generator which is used by GPL.
“Presently, the Guyana Power & Light Company Inc. (GPL) is asking the PUC to approve a 20 percent increase on electricity tariff throughout the country. As the government seeks to have consumers pay the 20 percent increase, it is has created the perfect storm to divide the nation, by painting the picture that Lindeners are selected for preferential treatment, while others are saddled with high rates.
The truth is the bauxite workers over the years have agreed, through Collective Bargaining between their unions and employers, to receive less wages/salaries in order that their deferred income can go towards investment, primarily in water and electricity.
It was the government who destroyed our sweat equity, took away, and continues to take away the people’s economic independence, now they demand increase, fully aware that citizens are unable to pay.”
“The context within which Prime Minister Sam Hinds is using the 1976 electricity statement by then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, to justify a single supplier and electricity hike in Linden, is a total fabrication. The period he alludes to, the then bauxite company, GUYMINE, was producing excess electricity. It was because of this excess supply, coupled with the national electricity expansion programme, the Burnham administration argued for the excess power being put into the national grid. To this end, a sub-station was established off the Washer Pond, on Industrial Road, and power lines were run along the Linden/Soesdyke highway feeding supplies into Georgetown and its environs. This is the backdrop to the issue, which Hinds is aware of, but chooses to be deceptive about.”
Lewis added that the Prime Minister’s reference of the government’s intent to “merge the supply area of Linden Utility Services Co-op Society Ltd. (LUSCSL) into Linden Electricity Company Inc (LECI),” is deserving of attention. He pointed out that the proposed merger poses a threat to the survival of LUSCSL.
“The merger proposal not only seeks to destroy the ingenuity and economic self determination of a people but it will put these entrepreneurs and their loved ones on the breadlines.
He said that he also found it disturbing that the “draconian” proposed increase had been decided upon without consultation with the people, which is a violation of their constitutional right to participate in national decision-making that impacts their wellbeing.
“It should be said that the government’s boast of subsiding electricity to Lindeners is an attempt to distort the truth behind their action. For their action is not one of benevolence or social welfare. The current electricity rate Lindeners pay is the result of the government’s decision to sell the bauxite operation, the non-renewable mineral resources, together with the workers’ sweat equity, for US$1. Sweat equity in trade union language speaks to a deferral of wages/payment for work done in return that such money be invested and benefits subsequently derived from said investment(s),” Lewis declared.
He further stated that Bauxite workers made upfront sacrifices by foregoing some of their earnings which was invested in areas of electricity and water. He added that apart from the destruction of their “sweat equity”, workers contributory pension and thrift plans were destroyed by the PPP government.
“This pension plan was worth in excess of $2.5 billion and was the single largest pool of money owned by Africans,” according to Lewis. He pointed out that efforts by the Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU) to save this plan were ignored by the government.
Similarly, he said, government ignored requests to assist the industry with US $14m for retooling and bauxite workers securing ownership of the industry. “Now LUSCL is targeted. This company remains a symbol of hope and is among the last bastion of the collective economic will and power of a people,” Lewis said.
The members of the LUSCSL recently made a resolution that they will “resist resolutely, any action to nationalize, absorb or engage in any similar act which would remove ownership and control of the Linden Utility Services Cooperatives Society Limited from its membership.”
“We will also stoutly resist and reject in its entirety, any act by any agency or authority that seeks to remove the ability of the Linden Utility Services Cooperative Society Limited to distribute power to our consumers at Wismar.”
This resolution was taken at a Special General Members Meeting on April 19th, 2012, at the Harmony Secondary School, Burnham Drive, Wismar.
The LUSCSL meeting was called a mere two days after Lindeners staged protests to proclaim their dissatisfaction over the proposed electricity hike for the town.

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