The main sugar union, GAWU says that a banner hung on its High Street, Kingston fence was vandalised yesterday morning.
The union said the banner reading “Did you know? Estate closure and sellout means an uncertain future for thousands of youths!” was mounted on the fence of the Head Office of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) at High Street and Wights Lane. It was vandalised around 1 yesterday morning. The union said that the banner was on the fence for less than twenty-four hours having replaced another banner which read:- “Did you know? Govt sugar plans will see 50,000 people pushed into poverty!” which was displayed for about two weeks.
The union said its night guard reported that about six men, seemingly youths, appeared suddenly and ripped the banner and took the cloth with them as they walked along the pavement towards the Umana Yana.
GAWU said that it is the first time since its Office was set up in Kingston, sixteen years now, that such a destructive act was ever committed with respect to its banners. “The GAWU is concerned about the motive of the persons who would have acted so destructively and/or who directed such an action in a reasonably well-lighted area and not very distant from the Police Headquarters, Eve Leary. A report of the matter has been tendered to the Guyana Police Force at the Brickdam Police Station”, the union said.
GAWU said in recent times has been waging a sustained campaign in protesting the Government’s “ill-considered plans for the sugar industry”.
It said that despite this latest adversarial attack against the Union, we will persist in our defence of the workers’ cause while promoting their interests.
“It is the Union’s duty to maintain our principled and forthright positions and reiterate our firm opposition to closure of estates and the sell-out that are being contemplated”, GAWU stated.
