Evidently, government doesn’t care or refuses to learn from its recent defeat

Nov 25, 2018 Eye on Guyana with Lincoln Lewis, Features / Columnists

---

While the Coalition Government is lauded for early preparations of the National Budget, which allows stakeholders insight into the administration’s forecast and programmes for the coming fiscal year, apparently, it could not resist injuring itself again.
Governments are elected by the people to function in the interest of the people. This includes safeguarding the nation’s integrity and sovereignty, defending and enforcing the rights of all the citizens, prudently managing the affairs of state, and ensuring the resources of the nation are made available for the benefit of all.
The issue of another wages and salaries imposition on the public sector by this administration is being heralded as a progressive step, and evidence it cares about the working class. Some see this as another Manifesto promise. Imposition of wages and salaries has no place in good governance. Workers in the public sector are unionised. Respect for the fundamental right to Collective Bargaining where a trade union exists is enshrined in Article 147 of the Guyana Constitution.
In the Disciplined Services, though these workers are not unionised, the custom and practice have been engagement between the Government and Police Association, for instance, to address matters impacting those workers’ well-being. This issue is not about how much workers will receive in increased pay. It is about respecting their right to participation and involvement on a matter that will impact their well-being, the undergirding spirit and intent of Collective Bargaining.
As there is condemnation for the present imposition of wages and salary at the University of Guyana, there is for the other workers in the state agencies.
Collective bargaining is not only about wages and salaries. It also deals with other conditions of work such as vacation, healthcare, insurance, pension, dependents’ benefits, overtime work, tenure, uniform allowance, welfare, occupation health and safety, loans, conditions under which people travel to perform duties, housing, education, etc.
When the employer refuses to sit at the table and negotiate with workers’ representatives, what the employer is in effect doing is engaging in acts that deprive the workers of securing improved working conditions. You cannot applaud the imposition of an increase, even if it is 700 percent, when other conditions of service that are not considered direct payments are being denied.
There must be a moral compass that guides acceptable and unacceptable behaviour or else we are doomed. This group came to office on a clarion promise that it will restore Collective Bargaining. Throughout the years, in Opposition, they condemned wages and salaries impositions by successive PPP/C government. Their supporters and members also followed suit.
On 1st May 2015, the leaders were allowed to share the Labour Day Rally platform primarily because of promises which they have since reneged. Then presidential candidate David Granger and prime ministerial candidate Moses Nagamooto promised workers that never again will their rights be disrespected.
George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” As applied in context, this quote serves as reminder that the PPP/C thought it could have assaulted citizens, transgressed the rights of sugar workers, public servants, bauxite workers, etc., and not face any consequence. Coming fresh off a defeat where the base was not energised to give of their support, resulting in the lowest turnout of the last three Local Government elections (1994, 2016 and 2018), one can only conclude that stick either break in the administration’s ears or the leaders don’t care.
As to the issue of the workers employed by the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) in 2010 a No-Confidence Motion was brought by PNCR Leader and Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin, supported by Raphael Trotman, leader of the AFC, against Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir, for his refusal to handle the dispute. The question now being asked is, “Were the Opposition serious or playing society along to score political points in the hope of securing the seat of government?”
When the BCGI took the Government to court, after Minister of Labour Dr. Nanda Gopaul imposed compulsory arbitration, Basil Williams provided pro bono legal representation to the workers’ union, the Bauxite Workers & General Workers Union (GB&GWU). Said person presently serves as Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs.
The coalition also campaigned to end this injustice to the affected workers. This matter is running for nine years, almost four of which the coalition has been in the Executive. Though Corbin is not part of the Executive, at the same time it is being wondered if he is lending his political wisdom to the coalition or is being ignored.
It is instructive what APNU and the AFC condemned when in the opposition they today find comfortable repeating and inflicting, with little or no shame. The enforcers of this retrograde behaviour are not only in its leadership, but amongst the membership, supporters, Johnny-come lately and hangers-on, crawling around social media in ant nest- like fashion.
What is alarming is that support is expected of me for the intransigence, or that I should stay silent or turn a blind eye. Let some of it be remembered, at the expense of being accused of blowing my trumpet, though sometimes necessary to remind those with convenient memory or inform those who now find it attractive or safe to be involved in social-political discourses.
In November 1992 – when many were still in euphoric mood over the PPP/C being elected in October, shouting “give them a chance,” and hanging their mouths – I was part of the trade union leadership that challenged Prime Minister Sam Hinds, subject minister for mines, on his administration’s position to downsize LINMIME. The PPP/C’s decision saw the termination of all workers employed at LINMINE and BERMINE. This amounted to thousands being placed on the breadline.
Another act of the PPP/C was the destruction of the bauxite workers’ Pension Plan, which was then worth in excess of $2.5 billion, the single largest pool of money owned by the African working class.
When state-sponsored death squads and other illegal paramilitary forces roamed the towns and environs, those who today are asking where was I then, you couldn’t have been around or had divorced yourself from Guyana, for my presence was felt on the streets and my position made known during this reign of terror. For having confronted the PPP/C for a targeted discriminatory policy and programme against African-Guyanese, which I called economic genocide, a complaint was filed to the Ethnic Relations Commission against me by Raschid Osman, an editor of the state-owned Guyana Chronicle.
When Mark Benschop, Freddie Kissoon, Norris Witter and I picketed Commissioner of Police Henry Green, demanding the deaths of Ronald Waddell and others be investigated, it led to Benschop, Witter and my arrest, incarceration and being placed before the court. Those who now question my pre-2015 presence or role weren’t there. We were represented, pro bono, by Khemraj Ramjattan, who is presently Vice President and Minister of Public Security.
As rejection of the Terror Bill passed by the PPP/C, which threatened the fundamental right to freedom of assemble and protest, yours truly and other named brothers challenged this authoritarian law by taking to the streets, starting at the Office of the President, considered sacred ground. This created a level of comfort for others thereafter to protest.
Finally, to those casting aspersions that this veteran trade unionist has only started speaking out today. Let it be remembered, this has been the trademark of a fearless citizen, unionist and worker, conscious of his rights and unwavering in steadfastness to ensure same. Where there were condemnations of issues considered wrong during the PPP/C’s stewardship, none must think that wrong behaviours today will not attract my condemnation.
As a trade unionist, universal acceptable principles are timeliness and interests permanent. When it comes to the welfare of the constituents I represent, racial identity or perceived political association is not a motivator to accept that what was wrong yesterday could become right today, with no just cause.

---

---