-IMC stands by Town Clerk suspension
Workers of the Linden Mayor and Town Council (M&TC) took to the streets yesterday to press their calls for better and timely payments of wages and the withdrawal of the suspension of Town Clerk Patrick Inniss, which Interim Management Committee Chairman Orin Gordon said was in keeping with the law.
Workers staged a picketing exercise near the council’s building on Republic Avenue, Mackenzie, three days after they held a sit-in. They carried placards, which read among other things: “Culprits know themselves;” “We need our President Jagdeo to intervene;” “We done with this IMC;” and “We are humans too we need better wages.” With no compromise yesterday, workers said their action would continue indefinitely.
Tension was high among the protesters, who were not allowed to enter the premises, which was secured by a chain and protected by security guards. The workers charged that most of them earned salaries below the minimum wage. “I am a single parent and my salary is $28,400 monthly. We are grossly underpaid,” said one worker. Another said that members of IMC receive more money than their salaries at the end of the month. The worker said, “When they come to ordinary meetings, they would get $2,000 for each meeting they attend. And when they attend statutory meetings, each one of them gets $3,000 [and] most of them on every committee, so you do the maths. When they done, they get more than my salary on a monthly basis.” Another shouted, “And they does get they money on time, every time, they don’t wait fuh we get pay then tek they money, is so uncaring. They deh here just for the money.”
The strike was planned after Gordon issued Inniss a letter of suspension for a period of two weeks. The workers said as a result cheques, vouchers and other documents for the payments of weekly employees were not been signed. But Gordon stood by the disciplinary action against Inniss, while saying the delay in payments to workers was an “utter falsehood”. He said, “There is therefore no basis for the actions of the employees and this is equivalent to voluntary withdrawal of their services. When it is considered that the employees are poorly paid and Christmas is near, it would appear as though the council is the only party concerned about improving the workers emoluments and their lot.”
In a statement, Gordon said the council had clearly outlined plans to address the continuation of its operations in the absence of the suspended Town Clerk. Chief Constable Aubrey Chance, who is also a signatory to the council’s accounts, had been identified and requested to execute this function, he said.
He also explained the decision to sanction Inniss, saying the suspension was recommended by the council after his repeated disrespect to the body despite repeated written and oral warnings. He said Inniss’ most recent transgression was his taking the council’s minibus and proceeding to the Rockstone Fish Festival without seeking permission. Further, Gordon added that when Inniss was called to account for his actions, he told the council’s investigating team that he did not see it fit to report to anyone and he simply issued instructions for the vehicle to go to the fish festival. “This is arrogance to the highest degree and required immediate dismissal considering all that has gone before,” he said.
Speaking on the legality of the council’s decision to suspend Inniss, Gordon cited the Collective Labour Agreement between council and the Guyana Labour Union (GLU) as well as the Municipal and District Councils Act. “It is therefore very offensive and contentious when the workers and their union take strike action and flout the rules which govern our engagement,” Gordon said.
He also lamented that the Linden municipality stands to be embarrassed owing to the failure to submit the budget estimates for 2011, which should have been presented in draft by October 31. He blamed Inniss for the lapse, adding that the submission should have included provisions for improving wages. “The Town Clerk, as of today’s date, has still not yet presented this document to the council, but expects the support of the employees in strike action when his disregard to his duties directly affects their ability to receive improved wages and benefits,” Gordon said.
Gordon defended the council’s efforts to make the working environment comfortable, make the work systems more efficient and garner more revenue to make “a brighter day” for the general staff. How-ever, he said its efforts were being frustrated by some elements within the administration. “A small cabal is benefiting and the majority are suffering but seeming not to understand their situation. The few benefiting are influencing the depressed with wrong information in order to continue their quest for personal gains. It is hoped that the employees will see the need to identify errant behaviour that demands appropriate action to safeguard our residents’ assets and their own well-being, and the desire by some misguided persons to use them for their own purposes,” he added.
