Dear Editor,
About three weeks ago, Stabroek News published a letter (SN: 29/03/19) by the General Secretary of GAWU, Seepaul Narine in which he criticised my positions on the sugar industry and expressed his opinion that I took no position on the dismissal of 7,000 sugar workers and claimed that I was trying to be relevant, when, I really was not, in the current political climate. Underlying his claims against me, he uses President Cheddi’s name and good graces in the history of the sugar industry to relegate me to the dustbin of irrelevancy while trying to score points as to the great job he’s doing as GAWU’s representative.
Editor, I would like to ask him some questions, since he is so relevant and so informed about the sugar industry:
1. Why is it that the dues over the years from the poor sugar workers have kept him and his fellow “union leaders” living a much better life than the average worker?
2. Why is it that he had nothing to say when Jagdeo as President, squandered US$200 million on the Skeldon fiasco? Money which could really have helped to alleviate the plight of all sugar workers!
3. Why is it that he and his fellow leaders in GAWU and the PPP government never prepared the sugar industry for its collapse, with all the writing on the wall, for anyone who cares, to see?
4. When Mr Raj Singh from New York was brought by Jagdeo to run GuySuCo and paid top dollar, he did nothing to save the sugar industry but helped to destroy any chance to change direction and help the workers – why were you so silent about this?
5. What do you have to say about the conflict of interest where GAWU reps were part and parcel of the government which pays all sugar workers and Komal Chand actually sat in Parliament with the employer while supposedly representing the poor exploited workers? That is unheard of in the history of trade unionism?
6. Why is it that you drive a car and the average sugar worker rides a bicycle? And do you care?
7.Why is it that when Robert Persaud was Minister of Agriculture – put there by Jagdeo – and his only contribution to betterment for agriculture was the meaningless slogan of “grow more food” while showing absolutely no concern for the sugar workers, you had nothing to say?
8. Why do you use President Cheddi’s good name to excuse your failing the sugar workers for many years now? Jagan doesn’t belong to GAWU or the PPP, but to our Republic. Take note, Mahatma Gandhi was the great leader of the Congress Party and affiliated unions in India, but today the Congress Party can’t win elections. Gandhi belongs to India, not the corrupted Congress Party. Wise up, Mr General Secretary and stop using Jagan’s good name to fool the public.
9.Why is it that you never spoke out on the other failures of the PPP government which you supported like Donald Ramotar’s fibre optic cable fiasco, Jagdeo’s numerous fiascos like Motilall’s road, the forestry fiasco, the airport and his good friends with private planes and special hangars, the RUSAL fiasco, the computer “giveaway” fiasco, the collapse of President Cheddi’s dream project at Black Bush and the list could go on and on – all impacting on the welfare of sugar workers who deserved better?
Editor, I hope that this letter will be answered by such a relevant union expert as the General Secretary of GAWU who should stop his ridiculous propaganda and pay attention to the urgent needs of all sugar workers. Political chicanery does not elevate the betterment of their lives but, in reality, it hems them in and leaves them in economic trouble while weakening their great contribution to our dear Republic.
Yours faithfully,
Cheddi (Joey) Jagan Jr
