Anti-Money Laundering legislation…Don’t support unless outstanding workers’ agreements are implemented

Feb 26, 2014 News

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– GTUC “tells” opposition
The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) through its General Secretary Lincoln Lewis is “telling” the opposition to withhold support from the passage of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill until previous agreements between government and workers are implemented.

Lewis made reference to the Herdmanston Accord, St. Lucia Statement, in January 1998; Hoyte/Jagdeo Agreement, Corbin/Jagdeo Communiqué in May 2003; the administration’s June 2012 commitment given to the Supreme Court to re-issue letters to start arbitration proceedings into the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) impasse and the August 2012 Agreement between Central Government and Region 10.
“None of these agreements were implemented. Guarantee must now be based on implementation. This is the same implementation problem the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force has with Guyana.”
Lewis stated that society has been held at ransom by a group who believes it is their right to impose on the people and determine for them. He said that the opposition must be “told” that any support to the AML/CFT Bill by way of “vote, abstaining or absent from the National Assembly by any of its members will be construed by Labour as a calculated act of non-representation on the issues that affect the wider society.”
He further cautioned against any act by the opposition to pass a bill without having the government respect “existing laws, implement outstanding agreements, and assent to outstanding bills would be seen by Labour as an act of treachery.”
“We are not urging them (opposition), we are telling them not to support any bill until such time that all these agreements are put in place. We are not concerned about the deadline, we are concerned about all the agreements you have signed with labour. They went to the Court and said they were going to reissue letters to start the arbitration and that was in 2012, and to date it has not been done. What assurance will this society get when this bill is passed that it will be implemented? So don’t tell me about the one that is coming, tell me about the one that exists!” Lewis exclaimed.
He said that the GTUC met with the opposition and they are aware of their demands, and in the event that they don’t support their claims “we will review how we deal with the opposition; the trade union has a permanent interest, we don’t have permanent friends, all our relationship with the opposition is based on issues. If the opposition takes a position and we feel the position is inimical to labour, we tell them that it’s inimical and we will not support it. What we are saying to the citizens of this country is that all the politicians of this country must be held accountable”.
Lewis said that the GTUC has not communicated to the government because “they don’t talk to us, neither do they talk with us”.
The General Secretary expressed that the wanton transgressions of rights and non-implementation of laws are known by those who are calling for the passage of the AML/CFT Bill.
“Some in the diplomatic community are from progressive societies and would admit what is happening in Guyana could not have happened in their countries and the citizenry remain silent. Persons cannot claim human rights as a core value in their countries but remain silent to Guyanese efforts to hold this government accountable, to ensure the same values thrive in our society.”
Speaking on the awareness that the Private Sector Commission and international bodies are articulating for and supportive of the passage of this Bill, Lewis said he is not concerned about that.
“Our responsibility is to workers not to the private sector or foreign bodies. The Private sector met with the GTUC since 2010 and agreed that they are going to sit down and talk with the government and the company BCGI on this issue and get back to us. We have raised this with them a number of times, and to date they have not returned… Workers’ rights are being transgressed and you are telling me I must turn a blind eye to it? Any modern and civilized society is built on rights and the rule of law, that’s where it is built. It’s not about party politics; parties come and parties go, but people’s rights will always be maintained,” Lewis asserted.
He said that the AML/CFT Bill seeks to ensure that illegal business comes to an end and “that is the issue… so if we got to start now with the screws turned on us then the illegal business will feel it. It’s not Banks DIH and DDL that will be affected, it is the illegal business people. It’s only that the process may take longer, but traditional, legitimate business will not be affected, it is the illegal business people who are afraid of this” Lewis said.
“The Constitution and laws were not made for one set of people to honour and respect; it was made for everyone who lives and conducts business in this
country.”
He said that there are various interest groups who are calling for a number of things to be implemented. “Are we saying that the Alliance For Change [AFC]’s call for the instituting of the Public Procurement Commission is not important? It’s a constitutional responsibility and the politicians swear to uphold that constitution. That commission is not a negotiated something, it is a requirement of the constitution and it must be put in place.”
“As a trade unionist I am angry at the preponderance of injustice and lawlessness in this society. The fact that the government knows the implementation of some these agreements would also benefit their main constituency does not matter,” said Lewis.
Lewis cited the situation of the “run-down” Georgetown Hospital where he said that “former President Jagdeo and President Ramotar gave this nation the assurance that the hospital is in a good state, but a few days ago when Jagdeo suffered his illness he jumped on a chartered jet to Florida to seek medical attention. These expenses will be paid by the taxpayers who will be subjected to go to the Georgetown Hospital where Brian Aaron from Bartica died… Some seem intent on living the good life while the ordinary man and woman are catching hell and dying through negligence,” Lewis said.
The General Secretary of the GTUC expressed that he wants action.
“We don’t want any guarantees, this government is known not to respect anything; they will go tomorrow make a guarantee and never implement it, that’s the government… that’s the men and women we have been dealing with over the years.”
He further said that the government is not operating in the interest of the masses, or desires a society of peaceful co-existence and equitable development. Lewis said if the government wants peaceful co-existence, equitable development and good governance, it will obey and implement laws and agreements.
“The opposition needs to be told there is a public view that the PPP government is bad and needs to be out of office, the question that has not been answered is, who can replace the PPP. The opposition’s contribution in the National Assembly on Thursday will answer that question,” Lewis opined.

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