Take a page from Trinidad

Sep 28, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,
While in Guyana the jobless and beleaguered sugar workers are forced to protest for their lawful entitlements and are told by the Prime Minister, through his representative, that their concerns would be raised at Cabinet, our Union’s attention is drawn to the situation regarding the workers of Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Petrotrin).
While the GAWU disagrees with reasons being advanced for the closure of the Company’s refining operations and recognizes that the closure will take a heavy toll on the workers, their families and their communities, we saw considered attempts by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to at least dampen the serious consequences of closure.
The September 19, Stabroek News reported that Energy Minister, Franklin Khan, said that Petrotrin and the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) were engaged in discussions regarding severance and said that “…the state, board and Government is willing to sit with the union…and possibly offer some enhancement to that package”. But in addition to a possible enhanced severance package, that country’s Social Development Minister, Cherrie Ann Critchlow-Cockburn, according to the report, shared that the Government had devised a plan which would offer the retrenched workers assistance to purchase food, to access public assistance and general assistance; would see vulnerable workers benefiting from an electricity subsidy; the workers would have access to health/wellness centres; they would receive advice on financial security; the Government would assist NGOs who in turn would set up soup kDear Editor,
I read the letter in the Kaieteur News (Sept 20, 2018) under the caption “Peter Persaud’s report sounds hollow” by admirer of Fort Island. I called the community leaders at Fort Island and told them what this admirer of Fort Island said in his/her letter in the Kaieteur News.
They all said that this admirer of Fort Island is maybe one of those persons that is associated with sub-standard work on Fort Island. They also said that they are being compelled to validate the sub-standard work done by the Essequibo Coast contractor. They are also loud in praise for Kaieteur News publishing their concerns in my letter.
But Fort Island is not just a “lovely peaceful little island” as admirer said. It is a historical island having Dutch historical landmarks. There are the court of policy and Fort Zeelandia which the Dutch used for governmental purpose and military protection when they made Fort Island the capital of Essequibo in 1621 when they formed the Dutch West India Company.
Unfortunately tour operators take tourists both local and foreign to Fort Island to view these historical landmarks without paying a cent. This is sad. Fort Island residents do want tour operators to pay a landing fee when they visit Fort Island and they are calling for the intervention of Guyana’s tourism authority to have tour operators pay a landing fee at Fort Island.
The proceeds will be used to further enhance the beauty of Fort Island. So I am appealing to this admirer of Fort Island to stop supporting sub-standard work on Fort Island and get involved in Fort Island’s company Development. Is admirer of Fort Island being compromised?
Yours Sincerely
Peter Persaud.

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