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Guyana
EDITORIAL
Begin talks on a National Government Now
YESTERDAY we made reference to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo’s revelation that he was appointed head of a negotiating team to pursue a National Government involving the PPP. It is a significant announcement, which shows that the APNU+AFC government is serious about making good on its campaign promises. This is a good sign that augurs well for our politics and political culture. For too long we have had to endure the politics of unfulfilled promises on significant issues. Many had chided the APNU in particular for not moving on a similar campaign promise at the 2011 elections. Now it seems to be moving to correct that blot on its record book. But what are the prospects for a National Government? One can only wish Mr. Nagamootoo and the coalition well. As we have previously noted, despite the rhetoric of national unity, the quest for such a government has been elusive. Parties have tended to champion the cause while in opposition only to turn in the opposite direction when in office. This coalition government seems to be going against that grain, but does it have a willing partner? From all indications, it is the PPP, now in opposition, which seems to be unenthusiastic about a National Government. Since the change of government in May, the coalition has sent out public and private feelers to the PPP. But the response from the latter has been lukewarm at best. It was quick to repeat its longstanding line that there needs to be trust as a prerequisite for any national unity government. Apart from crooked logic of the formulation, it gives the impression that it is being used to avoid dealing directly with the issue at hand. Prior to coming to power in 1992, the PPP was a champion of such a National Government. In fact, negotiations with the PNC on such a government were far advanced in 1985 and a positive outcome was scuttled with the sudden death of PNC Leader and President, Forbes Burnham. But with the prospect of free and fair elections, the PPP dramatically changed its position. It turned its back on the possibility of an interim power
GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday September 10, 2015
Enough is enough on Regent Street IT is a vexation to the soul to confirm what one always believes with respect to abuse of workers’ rights. When Minister in the Ministry of Social Protection Simona Broomes visited several Regent Street business establishments on Tuesday September 8 2015, much evidence was found of blatant violations of the law. I trust some court action will be pursued by this new government. The workers could not depend on the old government (Ramotar administration) that always attempted to brand itself as pro-working class. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. How can you call yourself pro-working class when for years, under your government, these Regent Street workers endured so many abuses, yet your so-called working class government did so very little for them. For the PPP, many of these workers on Regent Street have only one value – the vote. On elections day, many of these poor workers are corralled to the polling station like sheep going to the slaughter house with racist messages of fear. Well today the grand coalition
of six political parties has come to the rescue of these long-suffering workers at the bottom of the pay scale. It matters not, if many of them voted PPP; they are Guyanese first. Well done Minister Broomes! I hope GINA does a full feature on these abuses and spreads the word in rural Guyana what this government is really doing to help the poor and the working class. In the minister’s words – “massive violations of occupational health and safety standards were discovered”, but there was more. Workers’ rights and labour laws were also violated. Can you imagine in 2015 a worker who worked for six whole years was only offered paid leave for maternity as a one-off favour to her by her employer? Shame on that business owner! In Guyana there is the “Leave with Pay Act No. 6 of 1995”, which clearly outlines that “every worker must be granted one day paid leave for every completed month of employment”. That young woman is due 72 days leave with pay – simple. Yet her unprincipled boss violated her human rights. Where is the Guyana Human Rights Association? Has it gone into hibernation on these violations, or is it only a
sharing government in 1990. And when it won the election in 1992, it in effect shut the door on the matter. Despite Dr. Jagan’s rhetoric of a “Mandela” solution—a reference to Nelson Mandela’s inclusive government in the immediate post-apartheid period - there was never any movement in that direction. His death in 1997 effectively put an end even to the rhetoric. Now in opposition, the party seems to be a prisoner of its own logic. Having convinced itself of the correctness of its position for so long, it may now find it difficult to shift gear. To accept an offer to join the government would be a tacit acceptance that the party has been wrong on the issue or it may open it to charges of opportunism. The PPP may also be hesitant about a National Government because of its confidence of recapturing the reins of power on its own at the next election. Whatever its’ reasons, we feel that the party is wrong. After six decades of one-party rule, Guyana has retrogressed on all fronts. Ethnically plural societies that cling
press release tiger? Where is the WPO (women’s arm of the PPP)? Did the WPO do a “Houdini” on these violations over the years, although most of the shop front associates on Regent Street are young women from rural Guyana, where the bulk of their support comes from? This is the hypocrisy of the system - come support me, but when you are in your mess, you are on your own. The law is clear, even if you work for less than a full day for a complete month – you are entitled to a prorated pay. PERIOD! Thus there is no getting around this situation by gerrymandering around the law. But there is a higher law than the written rule of law; a karmic law! So even if these businesspersons violate the written rule of law, they cannot violate the karmic law. In karmic law, the poor are always looked after. Wasn’t it Proverbs 14:31 that said, “He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honours him?” Yet many of these business owners are the leaders in the Christian Churches, the Islamic Mosques, the Hindu Temples and the Sai Centres around Guyana, doing socalled “sewa” for the poor, but quite hypocritically are
actively fleecing the poor at their place of work. In 2015, we cannot be paying workers US$164 per month when the legal minimum wage is approximately US$240 per month. We cannot have legal citizens of Guyana working off the books and hence not entitled to NIS benefits. Where are the NIS inspectors, have they been bribed into capitulation, and in the process sold out the workers? It is time for stage two of this exercise – unionisation. Unions such as CCWU or NACCIE have to step up to the plate and unionise these workers. In conclusion, well done Minister Broomes and keep it up. Thank you for letting all the oppressed workers in Guyana know they have a friend in power. I trust you will do a follow up visit to Regent Street in six months to ensure that the working conditions of these workers have improved and if not, take some of these business owners to court. Enough is enough! SASE SINGH
to the majoritarian winner-take-all model are bound to be problematic; it is not sustainable. Our present situation since the change of government is a classic example. After more than two decades of one-party rule by the PPP, during which it was charged with ethnic discrimination, once in opposition the party lost no time in levelling similar charges against the new government. It is this cycle of charges and counter-charges of discrimination born of a deep-seated culture of insecurity and fear that is at the heart of our problem. One hopes that the PPP has a change of heart and at least begins talks with the governing parties. We agree that putting together a National Government is not going to be easy. Both sides would have strong pre-conditions. The issue of the removal and prosecution of PPP members and friends would, no doubt, be front and centre. But there is need for a start; all things are possible once negotiations begin. Ask the PNC, the WPA the APNU and the AFC.