Battle for GPSCCU reaches court

Jun 20, 2022 News

— members want nine executives permanently banned from holding office

Ousted Chairman Trevor Benn (centre) with credit union members during the signing of the petition last month

Kaieteur News – Failure to adhere to demands of the Guyana Public Service Union Cooperation Credit Union (GPSCCU) members to hold a special general meeting as per a signed petition has forced the matter into the courts.
But should this issue reach a legal resolution to cause the body’s Management Committee to honour the petition, at least nine executives could be voted out and permanently removed from holding such office again. Hundreds of credit union members signed the petition last month following the controversial removal of the Committee’s chairman Trevor Benn. Benn was voted out as chairman in his absence, and this did not sit well with the members who have openly applauded his leadership as chairman. Additionally, this action has caused a rift in the top brass with most executives agreeing to get rid of the chair, while a small number is against it.
Within 14 days of receiving the petition, the Management Committee was supposed to ensure the hosting of the special meeting Pursuant to Regulation 16 of the Cooperative Societies Regulations. But this was not done, and even when the acting Committee chairman tried to have same convened by way of notice for a June 25 meeting, the said announcement was scrapped by the opposing fraction who had by then appointed a new chairperson. The members’ petition advised however, that the objective of the proposed meeting “shall be to vote for or against the recall of the Committee of Management of the GPSCCU, without prejudice, and if the majority of Members in good standing vote to recall the Committee of Management, an election will be held at that same time to replace the Members of the Committee.”
Further, without prejudice, the petition said, it recommends that “the following nine officers not be reelected to serve on the Committee of Management- Ms. Gillian Pollard – Secretary, Ms. Karen Vansluytman-Corbin, Ms. Ruth Howard, Ms. O. Saskia Eastman-Onwuzirike, Mr. Charles Ogle, Mr. Kirwyn Mars, Jermain Hermanstyne, Ms. Leslyn Noble and Mr. Arthur Gibbs.”
The members demanded further that the meeting be held virtually and in-person in all ten (10) Administrative Regions, utilising the same mechanism used to conduct the 2021 Annual General Meeting at which the present Committee of Management members were elected, and that the same e-voting service provider be utilized.
The petitioners said, “Re-iterate that visionary leadership from the committee of management, trust, collaboration, communication, sound decision making, and accountability to the Members of the GPSCCU are important for the credit union to continue to thrive and reaffirm that Guyana Public Service Cooperative Credit Union is the leader in providing financial services to the poor and powerless and that a strong partnership between the Committee of Management and the Members is important to preserve the progress of the Credit Union and ensure its continuous development.” The GPSCCU has over 20,000 members, with some 2000 persons now calling for the special general meeting.

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