Dear Editor,
Some of my colleagues at GuySuCo begged me to write to this letter, I was hesitant for months but finally decided to write it because this situation is getting worse. Personally, I have fasted and prayed for 87 days so far for this year about the situation and last year, I fasted and prayed for about 50 plus days.
There is a serious situation that has been going on for almost two years between GuySuCo and NICIL-SPU. Because of my privileged position, I will stick to a recent matter which is causing a lot of disturbance. The Head of NICIL-SPU currently stays in the GuySuCo LBI compound, in the Regional Director’s house. GuySuCo has a Security Department which provides security to all of its locations. About two weeks ago, the Head of NICIL-SPU hired a private security firm to work at the property without the permission of GuySuCo, even though GuySuCo provides security to its entire LBI property. GuySuCo management gave its Security Department instructions, not to allow persons from the private security company or unauthorised persons with unauthorised firearms, to enter its premises; heavily armed men from the private security firm, would force their way into the compound. This started about two weeks ago. Around the same time, one of the armed men physically assaulted one of GuySuCo’s Security Officers by pushing him and then proceeded to enter the compound; the GuySuCo Security Officer was carrying out his duties.
On another occasion, GuySuCo Security informed the armed men, that they could not enter the compound and the Head of NICIL-SPU came himself and collected them and took them into the compound and told the GuySuCo Security to let Harold Davis (the Chief Executive for GuySuCo), call him.
On another occasion, GuySuCo Security told the armed men from the private security company that they could not enter the compound and they were also not permitted to enter with firearms, the maid of the Head of NICIL-SPU then drove a car to the main Gate in the LBI Compound, collected the armed men from the private security firm and took them to the Regional Director’s residence where the Head of NICIL-SPU is staying.
I am writing this letter because this matter has reached the highest level of provocation. It is provocation for the GuySuCo Security Officers who are prevented for doing their jobs, it is undermining the authority of the management of GuySuCo, it is provocation for the management of GuySuCo, among others and these men are armed. Many persons are beginning to conclude that for some reason, after all of the breaches of the corporation’s policies and the Laws of the country by NICIL-SPU and yet the situation continues, that some persons are probably above the Law.
GuySuCo’s management was given a mandate to manage the company and a framework within which to manage, and they are being held accountable based on that framework. They are guided by and operate based on the policies, laws of the country, rules and regulations, yet they are the ones who are being told to stay quiet while this abuse continues. They are told that the matter should not be in the press but after numerous internal efforts, yet the situation is getting worse.
The treatment of the NICIL-SPU to GuySuCo is unnecessary, it is almost like somebody created their own reality about the managers of GuySuCo and GuySuCo and is executing this campaign against them based on a perception. Nevertheless, while GuySuCo is told to stay quiet, it is unthinkable what happens behind the scenes.
I have worked a lot in in my professional career in areas of behaviour, organizational behaviour, organisations, systems and structures, etc.; also I have worked a lot in areas of abuse and rights and responsibilities and what NICIL-SPU is doing to GuySuCo, is wrong, very wrong; it is a clear case of abuse and it has to stop. It is not positive organizational behaviour and is very demoralizing. I am appealing to President Granger on behalf of my other colleagues at GuySuCo, to please bring this to an end. This situation has gotten physical, very abusive and could escalate further, please President Granger, please intervene, please.
Some of the managers of GuySuCo are also in the process of compiling a Dossier to submit to the United Nations and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to seek an intervention in an attempt to find a resolution to the situation.
Yours faithfully,
Audreyanna Thomas