The reopening of the Guyana Public Service Cooperative Credit Union Limited (GPSCCUL) has been postponed to Monday, reportedly to facilitate the availability of the Ministry of Social Protection’s Chief Co-operatives Development Officer (CCDO).
On Friday, the CCDO Perlina Gifth seized control of the union from its management committee, citing management’s disregard for previous urgings to abide by the law as the cause, and this week, the Ministry released a statement identifying the members of an Interim Management Committee to function in its place. The workers attached to the union are still in possession of their jobs.
Justice Prem Persaud, the immediate past Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission has been identified as the Officer in Charge of the Management of the Affairs of the agency.
The union’s office was expected to reopen yesterday, however, a source related that it was felt that it might be more appropriate that the CCDO be present when this occurred. Therefore, the reopening of the union office has been rescheduled to next week.
Yesterday, three police officers, along with the union’s security, were posted outside of the closed building.
Meanwhile, sources indicated to Stabroek News that the legal challenge by the ousted committee to the move by the CCDO wresting control of the credit union from the Management Committee will be filed “soon.”
At the centre of the dispute is the legality of waivers issued to the credit union by former PPP/C Minister of Labour Nanda Gopaul.
The waivers, which were granted from 2002 to 2013, freed the GPSCCU from contributions to the Co-operatives Audit and Supervision Fund. Instead, the union was empowered to utilise the sums for its “educational and developmental needs.”
