Rights activist Mark Benschop yesterday staged a protest in front of the Office of the President (OP) to highlight the country’s unemployment, particularly in light of the government’s concession to the contractor for the Marriott Hotel at Kingston who has been allowed to hire an all-Chinese workforce.
Benschop was joined by Shonnette Adams, mother of Shaquille Grant, the teen who was fatally shot by police at Third Street, Agricola, last September.
Benschop stated that the government should have been more adamant about making arrangements for Guyanese to be employed to help in the construction of the Marriott Hotel. He called the deal unpartiotic and disrespectful to Guyanese and urged an immediate review of the agreement.
Benschop said that Guyanese taxpayers’ dollars have been invested in the project and it is only fair that they be allowed to benefit. He dismissed government’s stated justifications for the decision, such as the language barrier, as unacceptable and he emphasised that the government should have made employing the many ‘out-of-work’ Guyanese a priority.
Benschop also criticised the government for granting a licence and broadcast frequency to the Government of China in what he contended was an expedited period of time, while Guyanese who applied years ago for such licences are still awaiting approval.
Meanwhile, Adams said that government, through its Citizen Security Programme, had gone into Agricola and had trained many of it residents in masonary and other trades and promised that jobs would follow the training.
She said employment at the Marriott construction site would have been a prime opportunity to deliver on the promise.
Benschop stated that he plans to accumulate additional supporters and stage several protests in the coming weeks.
