A clear act by the PPP to control an institution it does not own

Mar 02, 2014 Letters

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Dear Editor,
As President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) among other things mine is the responsibility to protect and defend the integrity of this federation and its attendant arms, which are the Critchlow Labour College, Women Advisory Committee, and Pollydore Institute.  The GTUC has publicly stated its non-acceptance that the restoration of the State’s grant on pre-condition that the college’s board have six members from the government (four from FITUG, with the already two from the ministries of Labour and Education) to GTUC’s four. This is a clear act by the PPP to control an institution it does not own. A person or institution would not allow another to come into its house and control him or it unless that he or it is prepared to sell him or itself into servitude. This is not what the GTUC desires.
The National Assembly is the nation’s highest decision making forum. It is a serious forum where debates should be driven by substance and credibility. Where this does not happen the people have a responsibility to call on their elected representatives to elevate the bar to a level of seriousness and commitment. It is based on this understanding and desire for our National Assembly I propose two things to Drs. Rupert Roopnarine and Nanda Gopaul who made allegations about
accountability in the college and paper unions during their contribution to the debates on the grant.
Dr. Roopnarine, past principal of the college, in his debate, according to media report said “accountability at the college was a grave problem.” Dr. Gopaul is Minister of Labour and once elected treasurer of the GTUC, he too according to media reports, had informed the National Assembly the college has an accountability problem. Drs. Roopnarine and Gopaul are called on to provide the evidence to the public to substantiate their claims. We must strive to return honour to this once Honourable National Assembly. The State’s grant to the college was audited by the Auditor General every quarter. How the college spent this money are highlighted in the Auditor General’s Reports and are available for public consumption. The college was never cited for mismanagement or misappropriation. Therefore is it a disappointing that Drs. Roopnarine and Gopaul have sunk to this level of deception in their debate contributions.
On the Members of Parliament’s comments that the fate of the college is linked to disunity in the trade union movement, these honourable members are asked to look within themselves. The PNC was birthed out of the PPP. The AFC was birthed out of the WPA, PNC and PPP. Perhaps this august body should go back to the PPP from whence they originated and form a singular national party, since this seems to be their understanding of unity. These same honourable members who are calling for “unity” within the trade union movement have themselves come from fractured bodies but now zealously guard their right to independent existence and self-determination but want to impose their illusion on others.
Mr. Editor, we have a major problem in this society that is turning away young people from politics. They hate the dishonesty, idle talks, inactions and manufactured divisions that come from the politicians. The young are finding it hard to reconcile looking up to their seniors when their seniors are unconcerned about what say and do and how this can negatively impact on the respect they attract and the demotivation they instill in the young to pursue this highest form of public service. They are failing to set a good example for the young to emulate.
Dr. Gopaul said the GTUC has paper unions. Dr. Gopaul is called upon to make public the names of these papers unions. Also, Dr. Gopaul is reminded as a former trade unionist that one of the strengths of the trade union movement is that when it comes to representation and equality, size only matters with regards to delegates, and not decision-making and the right to equality. If Dr. Gopaul practices this in his job as Minister of Labour, the worker in a business of one to the worker in a business of tens of thousands would be given equal respect and protection under the laws. Dr. Gopaul is reminded of this principle and is called on to address all outstanding labour issues with equal urgency and respect, among them being the re-issuing of letters to start arbitration into the impasse at the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated as he has committed to the High Court in June 2012.
To understand how disrespectful is the pre-condition for receiving the grant can be gleaned through these examples. When state advertisement was returned to Stabroek News, a private entity, there was no pre-condition for representatives of Chronicle or any state media to sit on its board. Neither has the opposition set a pre-condition for their representation on the First Lady’s charity which receives state’s funding. The same goes for Cheddi Jagan Research Centre, another beneficiary. None has asked GAWU to put representatives from the GTUC on its college’s board. The College is a private entity and is owed by the GTUC, not the Government of Guyana.
Leslie Gonsalves
President-GTUC

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