Dear Editor,
Please permit me to share some views and experiences relating to the recent press release issued by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) relating to payments due to dismissed workers of the Forestry Commission. Firstly, I wish to bring attention to the utter silence of GAWU during the 2015-2020 period when the Forestry Commission was bankrupt, staff were victimized, dismissed without explanation and benefits, and disarray was prevalent in the entire forestry sector. The fact is, GAWU was mum.
Now suddenly, they pretend to champion workers’ rights by defending the very staff who were part of tarnishing the professional image of the Commission and who contributed to the poorly managed state of the organization between 2015 -2020. Further, GAWU was and still is ignorant of the challenges endured by staff during the dark period when they chose to deliberately remain silent when numerous workers’ rights were trampled upon unconscionably and while staff had to work in daily fear. I must point out that pregnant mothers and sick staff could not have received NIS benefits during 2015-2020 due to the high level of mismanagement under the previous administration.
GAWU remained silent then and has now found its long-lost voice for a few delinquent staff who were terminated for various unprofessional conduct. Editor, I believe that every worker’s rights must be respected and upheld as per the laws that govern. However, GAWU is condoning the wrongdoings of the delinquent workers who were dismissed and creates the impression that the Forestry Commission is unfair and unprofessional. In retrospect, if GAWU was efficient and competent with effective negotiation skills as a Union, this matter would have never escalated to disagreements and arbitration, but rather settled between all parties amicably. GAWU failed.
Meanwhile, GAWU continues to give the dismissed workers hope in an effort to cover up the Union’s incompetence and failure to bargain and negotiate for workers.
Sincerely,
Ms. Pauline Wong
