The local government union is not loyal to its workers

Nov 09, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
Over the last year and a half, workers of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown are left to wonder as to what is the real use, the purpose or the benefits of the Guyana Local Government Officers Union (GLGOU).
Since the present Town Clerk assumed office in Georgetown, things have gone awry at the Georgetown Municipality in every possible and conceivable way, much to the chagrin, disadvantage and harm of the workers. Many of them are members of the GLGOU which should be protecting them, and whose welfare they should be looking out for, but for which they certainly do not.
Since the beginning of this year, as a consequence of racking up superfluous expenses to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars to just one special and favoured contractor alone, not to mention the other expenses they incur to other contractors, extravagant telephone and electricity charges, high fuel costs etc, the Council has unfailingly been paying its workers exceedingly late each month. This includes October for which it is the second week in November and there is no money in sight for the majority of workers, causing them much hardship and embarrassment, having to face their creditors such as their landlords/landladies or mortgage companies, non-payment of school fees, electricity and telephone costs, their grocers etc.
Yet the GLGOU has done absolutely nothing to bring this complete negligence, horrific mismanagement and wanton dereliction to an end. Indeed they sit idly and quietly by as the workers suffer month after month for several weeks at a time after the prescribed pay date with non-payment, and have not even the courtesy of even meeting with them or offering any type of relief.
Worse than that, this union, the executive of which is comprised entirely of senior officers of the Georgetown Municipality, has consistently waited out each month during the periods after the agreed pay date, and then as an academic exercise, proposes a 72 hours ultimatum when they have been assured by the delinquents at City Hall that monies are finally ready. This is a complete act of deception against the workers, in order to dishonestly continue to receive the workers union subscriptions. The President and executive of the GLGOU should be ashamed of themselves
Then there is the more recent scam by the Georgetown Municipality where the senior officials are purporting to soon provide top up to the rank and file worker with quality, affordable housing, and to also provide the vital support services its workers needs to thrive. Alas! Rather than a co-op effort, one which would have utilized skills available at the Council including its human and other resources, instead, houses are being built as a commercial venture to the benefit of a few big ones and their friends. The union that should have been involved in the municipal housing development scheme in the first place, has instead turned a blind eye to the racket allowing their members to again be fleeced by some unscrupulous municipal officials.
But the most egregious of all, is the rampant nepotism and cronyism that is being promulgated by the Council’s Human Resources Department to facilitate the employment of relatives, close family members of the Mayor, some present and past Councillors and some senior officers of the Council. Many of these ‘Johnny-come-latelies to the Council’ are unqualified, unbefitting and redundant but are hired anyway at salaries that are way higher than staff members that are better trained and more experienced, a complete act of contempt. Of course this drives the Council’s wages bill up by millions of dollars each month. And what is the GLGOU doing about this? Absolutely nothing! And that is possibly because the GLGOU itself is run like a family business with first a brother being its president and now his sister.
James McOnnell

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