Dear Editor,
As a trade unionist I am involved in the process of negotiation on a daily basis. The Clerical & Commercial Workers Union received the very disappointing news from the National Assembly that the opposition members had moved to stop the subvention for the National Communications Network Inc (NCN). The union is bargaining unit of workers at NCN. The opposition members need to re-examine their decision to ensure that it addresses the critical concerns of the Guyanese public. The value of public service broadcasting for democracy is just as great as any value for money justification.This why we should support NCN. It is a given that CCWU has to defend the individual and collective interests of its members. Still, something more, which all of us hold as being of great value is involved in this struggle. We truly believe and we will go on believing in the essential role public radio and television plays in the defence of democracy. This is truer now than it ever was before.
Research efforts such as our new study provide a vital contribution to the ongoing struggle for sustaining broadcasting well into the new global digital age.
Yours faithfully,
Sherwood Clarke
Field Secretary
Clerical & Commercial
Workers Union
