Dear Editor,
Two nights ago, a Guyanese mother who returned from Venezuela with her children called me and told me a frightening story. According to her, her eldest son started working in Stewartville at a Lumberyard that has numerous conflicts with the Ministry of Labour and was involved in a frightening incident. The young man told her that a cellphone was missing and the owner accused him just like that.
The young man denied [the allegation] and was kicked in his stomach and received more hits when he fell down. The young man’s phone was taken away and broken up and thrown away.
Staff witnessed this incident, along with the owner’s brother, who chastised the owner, saying he cannot accuse the boy like that without any proof when all the staff have access to the same area that the phone was lost.
The owner then threatened to call the police and his brother sent the young man away without his salary. I saw the young man yesterday and enquired what he was doing since the matter is serious, and he said he was scared because his mother is Guyanese but he is Venezuelan and doesn’t have the required papers. He informed me that he was told not to go back to the lumberyard by the owner, but he is still going to ask someone to ask the owner for his salary since he needs it.
Editor, Some Guyanese working there always have issues with the owner and the Labour Ministry, and staff are scared to answer correctly when the officials visit there and question them in front of the owner. Of recent, all the labourers are mostly from Venezuela and incredibly, their working hours extend beyond the normal 8 hours and their salary is lower than average.
Immigrants are always being abused in some sort of way, mostly sexually, and they stay quiet because of fear of deportation or being unemployed. It is totally unjustifiable for someone seeking an honest living to endure these traumatising incidents and not get adequate satisfaction because they don’t have the relevant documents.
While in some countries the necessary systems are in place to assist, some of the immigrants might be scared to report or are not au fait with their rights. Many people are being forced into situations and as humans, we should try to erase the bitterness we have dwelling within us and try to help others instead of exercising our anger on them and paying officials to close their eyes or help victimise those making reports.
As Guyanese, we should not be like others throughout the world. I believe we are very hospitable and we should not forget that.
Yours faithfully,
Sahadeo Bates
