Dear Editor,
I have been wondering if labour is awake in Guyana. How closely are the labour relations being monitored? Is there positive contribution from labour to the quality of work relationship? Does labour understand that at any time the work force of Guyanese workers will be smaller than the population of imported labour because the Guyanese population overall is small, and that translates into the need for highly responsive labour protection. Confrontational labour relations are bothersome and divisive. Alertness is not. Firmness and courtesy are not. I am asking what labour is doing about the firing of a Guyanese worker from manganese production in the North West? I read the story and I think I got it right.
The worker was suspected for smoking which could have been confirmed if he had turned around when ordered to do so. He did not turn around. So what was he fired for, smoking or not turning around? He took his firing and obeyed the order to vacate but could not as the transportation was not there to take him out. He sat by himself. He was not disruptive in any way, if the account I read is to be believed. Along comes the same “Supervisor’ who did the firing, this time with some support, invading the quiet space of the fired man and they begin to taunt him. Words are not sufficient. They must sing. That apparently is not enough also. They must have rhythm and accompaniment, so they clap. My impression is that the taunting was malicious and extended, it was not just throwing of words. It was intentional and a reaction was expected, and so they got one.
I transposed the above scenario to Trinidad where I live and asked my Afro-Trini husband what he thought would have happened in Trinidad if what is described above had happened here. He thought some ‘cut arse’ would have passed, and that is what happened when the ‘Supervisor’ and his henchmen had done their mischief. They would have intended to evoke anger. Some others so accosted would have waited to catch the group alone and then, ‘licks in the police van’! The supervisor and his henchmen must be very satisfied right now. They went looking for it and they got it! They approached a peaceful man minding his own business and verbally attacked him. So what is labour doing? What part of the world did the Supervisor and his friends come from? Is that how labour is treated in their own country, firing on spot and then mockery after? Is the fired Guyanese person, who now has unemployment forced on him, to accept in silence the intentional mockery by the employer?
The ‘supervisor’ and his henchmen set an example of abuse, unprovoked verbal attack, and disruption of the peace. They themselves destroyed the peace. So what is labour doing about this? Certainly, the Guyanese worker has taken off. Is only he paying the price for this fiasco? An injustice was perpetrated against a peaceful man. Is the Supervisor and his henchmen being made to apologise? Perhaps a precedent is being set, that Guyanese workers must swallow whatever mad treatment is handed out if they want to work with a specific company. Perhaps, they are defenceless on Guyana soil? I cannot believe this. Was firing the only option? What about suspension? What about docking pay? What about re-training? In its rapid industrial development, Guyana has been given a marvelous and much needed opportunity to tell the modern day imperialist where to get off.
Tell all Supervisors and bosses of every company that certain kinds of treatment to its people will never be allowed on Guyana soil. Guyana has to be liberated enough to say, ‘not here’. My sympathy to the man who was fired. Labour needs to find him and give him proper legal advice. A stern warning needs to be given to the company involved not to send untrained supervisory staff to Guyana. Companies coming into Guyana need to understand that Guyanese are a fiery people who do not react to mistreatment in Guyana from non-Guyanese, nor from their own people. So Guyanese labour leaders need to be sure that they themselves do not evoke the disappointment and anger of their own people. This matter must not be ignored. There must be a fair and just response.
This Supervisor and his henchmen need to be reprimanded. They must apologize for their behaviour, and the company must assure labour in Guyana that they will have had a training upgrade. There needs to be a shift from unjust punishment of one person. And while labour is doing this quality check, make sure that no worker, whether local or foreign, is exposed to leptospirosis as part of manganese production. On spot firing plus leptospirosis is an explosive combination! So I say!
Sincerely,
Gabriella Rodriguez
