Dear Editor,
I know that these letter columns are reserved for the opinions of persons who feel the need to express their thoughts in a manner that is respectful and free from illegal journalism practices. Acknowledging and understanding the consequences of severely poor journalism, I must express with restrain my anger, frustration and bewilderment at the Minister of Labour Mr. Manzoor Nadir’s inclination to reduce the legal working age of children in Guyana from 15 to 13 years of age.
I am not certain what is happening to Guyana, but it is quite appalling that Minister Nadir can even remotely entertain the thought of lowering the legal working age. Unfortunately, Guyanese cannot expect some Commissioners from the Rights of the Child Commission to sanction intelligently on this issue since such an attempt might severely test the ability of the discerning mind to understand the rationale behind the Minister’s decision and the Commission’s position on this daunting topic.
Guyana retires most of its public servants at age 55. Many agile minds are fast forwarded into the oblivion of retired unemployment because, up to 2010, the Guyana government cannot hasten to ensure that the retirement age is legally extended. Some persons within the public sector work in positions as actors for years performing competently, and yet they are forced to retire without confirmation. The most glaring case in point is the Chief Education Officer (ag) Ms. Genevieve Whyte-Nedd. With such obvious labour issues facing the heat on the front burner in the Ministry of Labour, that Minister Nadir can make mention of lowering the legal working age in Guyana is beyond me.
One would think that with the impasse occurring within the Bauxite Industry, that there might have been more meaningful and pressing matters for the Minister to focus on instead of this obvious attack on the basic human rights of the young adolescent in Guyana.
I would really like to hear from the Minister of Human Services and Social Security on this issue. Children at the age of 13 ought to be in school! The Minister of Education should also be in fierce opposition to this idea of 13 year old children becoming eligible to work.
Has Guyana’s economy grown to such proportions that there is an excess of jobs on the market without adequate human capital available to be utilized therefore jolting society into the survival mode of child labour?
Yours faithfully,
Richard Francois