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Opposition urges accountability for Critchlow, Trade Union subventions
– some unions have not been audited for years – Burton Persaud
The political opposition is pleased with the return of subventions for the Critchlow Labour College and other registered trade unions. However it insists that there must be a system of auditing in place to ensure that there is transparency and accountability.
Opposition Parliamentarian Gillian Burton Persaud expressed this sentiment during the budget debate last week in the National Assembly.
In addressing the National Assembly, Persaud said “Another good gesture by the coalition government is that of the return of the subventions to the Critchlow Labour College, the Guyana Trades Union Congress, the implementation of the granting of a subvention to the Federation of Independent Trades Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and to other registered Trades Unions.”
The opposition member said that the fact cannot be denied that these allocations will go a long way in ensuring that there is enhancement in the work of these Unions.
She told the House that Finance Minister Winston Jordan, during his presentation of the Budget of 2015, spoke about the return of the subventions to the various entities while highlighting the fact that these subventions were withheld by the PPP/C when it was in government.
Opposition Parliamentarian, Gillian Burton Persaud
Persaud however felt the need to clarify why this position was taken by the PPP.
She said that it was not done by mere whims and fancies but rather as a result of the inability of the said institutions to provide accountability for the subventions allocated for many years.
The Opposition Parliamentarian claimed that this issue is also known by some members of the coalition administration. Given this view, she said that she was dismayed at the comments of the Attorney General, Basil Williams who criticized the PPP during the debates for withholding the said subventions.
“He is very much aware of the issue and the entire nightmare that some persons, including the Honourable Minister of Education Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, who was at that time the Principal, had to endure whilst trying to resolve this issue due to the stubborn and obnoxious attitude of some of the institution’s officials.”
“So irrational, unprofessional and disrespectful were their attitude that anyone who did not support their position was in the most demeaning way dismissed from the College, exempted from Board meetings or forced to resign as in the case of the Honourable Member Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine,” said the Opposition Parliamentarian.
On that note, Persaud emphasized that it is important that on the return of the subvention to the Critchlow Labour College, there must be the insistence for the provision of accountability of expenditure; scrutiny of the policy as it relates to composition of the Board of Governors and scrutiny of the Board of Trustees, its composition and accuracy.
Persaud, a Trade Unionist herself, expressed that the allocation of a subvention to registered trade unions to assist with local training is complimentary. However, Persaud said that it must not be overlooked that the issue of accountability raises its head once more, this time in the sense that Unions must be sensitized that the submission of their accounts for auditing is the number one criterion in this instance.
She expressed hope that the APNU+AFC government would find it possible to offer assistance in this area by perhaps utilizing its team of audit specialists since this exercise is very costly and many unions have not had their accounts audited for many years.
Persaud said that the transformation and advancement of the labour environment is critical to sustainability in a competitive global environment. She said that it is therefore irresponsible of any government to set its benchmark far away from its attainability.
The politician told her colleagues on the Eastern side of the House that it must not be forgotten that it is the workers who by their blood, sweat and tears keep the wheels of industry turning. Therefore, she said that it is only just, that their efforts be rewarded in a sustainable and realistic manner.
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