Dear Editor,
The statement, “He who pays the piper calls the tune,” by Carvil Duncan, Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana, in his May Day address is deserving of attention. Mr Duncan made this reference in support of the government’s unjustified withdrawal of the Critchlow Labour College’s subvention.
I concur with the principle, “He who pays the piper calls the tune,” but Mr Duncan and I differ fundamentally on the context of which he speaks to who is paying the piper and therefore calls the tune. During slavery and colonialism the piper was the slaves and indentured servants and the Massas called the tune. This imposed status was not without rebellion and resistance. Political independence ended the master-slave/servant relationship and replaced it with servant leadership, where leaders are elected by the people to serve the people. In this new dispensation the people are the paymasters and they call the tune. The funds of the state are the property of the people, who through the payment of their taxes expect the government to invest and redistribute their money justly.
The inborn desire to be free, enjoy human rights and manage one’s affairs has been a constant struggle of mankind. We, as a people, must never lose sight of this. The denial of education, a basic human right, due to the withdrawal of the Critchlow subvention is a backward step and a blow to our common sense of decency and justice. The irony is that the ministers of government were beneficiaries of a non-discriminatory public education policy under another administration. They enjoyed free education from nursery to university, inclusive of the Critchlow Labour College. This education equipped them to secure jobs and run for office, yet today they are employing discriminatory measures to deny similar opportunities to others.
The belief and argument advanced by a senior trade unionist has been the practice of this government and some trade union leaders. Citizens and members of trade unions are misled to believe they have no say over the spending of their taxes and dues and that they are only passive participants in decision-making that impacts their lives. This thinking and behaviour continues to produce negative consequences for the trade union community and society as a whole.
People have never been powerless, even in the face of adversity, but there ought to be concerns about the growing apathy and fear to stand up for what’s right. The trade union was founded on the principle that the unions are owned by the members and the country was owned by the citizens. These groups are the real decision-makers. It is this principle that led and underpinned the struggles of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow for just wages and working conditions, human rights, universal adult suffrage, and representation. This principle still applies today.
Leaders of unions and country are beholden to the members and citizens; they are not the people’s masters, as presented on May Day. For us to move beyond the current dictatorial and tyrannical climate, members and citizens have to rise up and take back their unions and government. It is the only way out of the quagmire.
Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis
