Latest update December 21st, 2024 1:52 AM
Where have the Labour Unions for Municipal Workers Gone?
Dear Editor;
City Hall has gone right back to the pre Carol Sooba era. That is punishing workers by paying them their wages and salaries weeks and weeks after the stipulated times, withholding their contributions to the National Insurance Scheme, the Guyana Revenue Authority and other agencies thus compromising the well being of the workers, owing every creditor in town that has given them credit of goods and services, owing all of their contractors except for one, failing to purchase tools and materials to allow for municipal works to be completed, lacking in the maintenance of municipal buildings, compromising the occupational health and safety standards of its workers with unsafe and dilapidated buildings and work sites and much much more.
But in spite of all of the aforesaid, it is evident that during Sooba and the other Town Clerks tenures, the failure to pay salaries on time resulted in all sections, inclusive of the Markets, Solid Waste, Drainage, Abattoir, even Gravediggers at the Cemetery downed their tools. Those who didn’t went on ‘GO SLOW’ The question then is why? Why then and not now. Hope all concerns are taking note. Indeed politics in Guyana is so interesting!
But the real question to be asked is what has happened to the Guyana Local Government Officers Union and the Guyana Labour Union, the two organizations that were selected to represent the collective interests of workers of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown in negotiations with their employers over wages, hours, benefits and working conditions?. It seems as though they have been silenced by the Council. Maybe they are making a new movie called ‘The Silence of the Lambs Part 2’
The poor representation by these two unions to the serious issues affecting municipal workers should lead to a loss of confidence in the leadership of both of them. Why is there no serious attempt being made to attain justice for the workers of the M&CC whom they represent despite pleas by many for betterment.
It is certainly time that the unions are refreshed and new faces installed to fight for rights of the workers of the Georgetown Municipality. It would seem as though the President of the GLU, Carvil Duncan, is too busy with his legal troubles to pay keen interest to matters which affect the Council’s workers who are represented by his union.
Meanwhile the GLGOU’s new president Wendy DeCunha seems more interested in travelling to overseas conferences rather than the welfare of the GLGOU’s membership.
It is time for these unions to ensure that municipal workers are paid on time, that they are properly remunerated, that they are not superseded by friends and family of the ‘Big Ones’ who have been employed en masse, that they encourage equality and fairness , ensure job security, facilitate better training for workers, and guarantee the health and safety of the workers by repairing and refurbishing the ramshackle municipal buildings and work sites buildings which accommodate its employees; provide appropriate furniture, tools and equipment for employees.
Shanta Singh
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The GRA is batting out of its crease
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has once again demonstrated a perplexing propensity... more
Let the asylum seekers go: a first step for Venezuela to rebuild relations in the Americas
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – The government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela has steadfast support from many... more
Weekend Cartoon
