The Critchlow Labour College (CLC) might be forced to close its doors since the Government has once again withdrawn its monthly subvention without any reason, GTUC President Andrew Garnett warned last evening.
Garnett said if this is done thousands will suffer and this would constitute another attack by the government on the poor working class. According to Garnett the Government had previously withdrawn the subvention in April 2004 but it was subsequently restored in January 2005 after intervention by the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC).
“However without any reason the government has again withdrawn the subvention of the Critchlow Labour College, as of August this year”, Garnett disclosed. According to Garnett the Government had requested and they have submitted a work plan for 2007 and audited financial reports for 2004, 2005 and 2006. However Garnett added that as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the College he wrote to the Finance and Education Ministers requesting the disbursement of the monthly subvention on October 15th to the college as approved by Parliament. A copy of the letter was also sent to the Presidential Secretariat; to date there has been no response.
“It is with a heavy heart I inform you that the resources are exhausted and if the subvention in not immediately restored the college after some 40 years of existence is faced with a possible closure,” Garnett said. He also made mention of the government’s withdrawal of the movement’s yearly subvention which had been received for some 30 years. This was also done without any reason or just cause in 2002.
Garnett in his address further pointed to what he said was government’s barefaced attack on freedom of expression in the withdrawal of advertisements from Stabroek News. “A threat to one of us is a threat to all of us
