The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) says it is “indeed disappointing” that recent calls have been made in the media by private sector groups for the liquidation of CLICO (Guyana) and the early end of the court proceedings
It was referring to calls made by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), backed by the heads of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).
“It is not an objective call but one of pure self-interest,” the GTUC charged in a press statement yesterday.
It argued further that it is clear that the call for liquidation is a conclusion by the GMSA, the PSC and the GCCI “on a matter that the court has to determine but they have made up their minds already.”
In the GTUC’s view the call by the GMSA, the PSC and the GCCI for the liquidation of CLICO (Guyana) and the early end of the court proceedings “seems to be a veiled attack on the independence of the court.”
It is important to note, the GTUC said, that the trade union body was the first to call attention to the issue when at the time there was complete silence on the matter by these associations.
The GTUC said it had “called for a thorough, fair, independent and complete investigation into this matter which has fallen on deaf ears.”
According to the GTUC, the current court proceedings are a response by the Commissioner of Insurance who went to court for judicial management of CLICO (Guyana) and not by the company.
Meanwhile, the GTUC asked “why was there no call by the GMSA, the PSC, and the GCCI for the removal of Geeta Singh-Knight as the assistant to the judicial manager who has received over $1M per month while the company remains in judicial management …”
The GTUC also contended that to date the government has avoided telling people what it is proposing should the court rule that the company be wound up, adding that this is what the three associations should be telling the Guyanese people.
“They have not presented what are the details of the proposal but seem to be acting in their own self-interest as the likely bidders (for) the company’s assets would come from within those very associations,” the GTUC declared in its statement.
And to this extent, the statement added, the associations have lost credibility with the Guyanese workers having regard to their own track records on the issues that affect workers’ rights.
The public needs to understand that there are no individuals who are stopping them from getting their moneys; it is the company which is a subsidiary of CL Financial which has been defending its interest in the courts here in Guyana, the GTUC declared.
In the meantime, the GTUC referred to the recent comment by President Jagdeo as reported in the Kaieteur News of January 27, 2010, under the headline “Frivolous court matter hold up liquidation of CLICO”, arguing that it “represents yet another blatant interference of the head of state in the work of the Judiciary.”
Such interference, the GTUC added, must be roundly condemned as it brings into question the independence of the Judiciary.
The GTUC will continue to follow with interest developments in this matter and keep its international affiliates informed as events unfold, the statement concluded.