Industrial
Judge orders teachers salaries, dues deduction preserved pending outcome of strike case: Justice Sandil Kissoon last Thursday ruled that the Government is barred from deducting monies from striking teachers’ salaries until the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU)’s legal challenge against this move is determined. On Tuesday, through a court filing, the government had asked for 14 days to respond to the union. When the matter was called, Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall SC opened by stating reasons why the respondent (the government), whom he is representing, should be given more time. According to him, the application by the GTU arrived at his office on February 16 and the registry usually requires a period of 14 days to schedule a hearing. “It was received on the 16th, Friday afternoon, after 1:00… so, that would have given us Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, three days’ notice… four if you wish… an urgent application made on notice requires a registry to schedule it for hearing within 14 days of its issue. That would have meant that if it was issued on the 16th then one had up to, I think sometime early March first or the second of March… instead it was scheduled for hearing on today’s date. That is to say the 22nd of February, almost 10 days prior to the time permitted by the rules. In addition, the rules further require that it must be served at least ten days before the scheduled hearing day,” he said, while noting that the short notice was in breach of the rules in relation to timing. In his appeal for the hearing extension date, Nandlall also pointed out that the application made by the GTU spans 59 paragraphs and makes “a plethora of allegations”. These, he said, would require an input from the Ministries of Education, Finance, Local Government, Labour, along with the Office of the President. The AG added that work has already begun on receiving instructions from the various agencies and an affidavit in answer will quickly be filed. “Abridgement of that [14-day] period will be consented by the respondent. But to answer the allegations that have been raised, we will require the opportunity to put evidence before the court,” he explained to Justice Kissoon. In his turn, attorney-at-law Darren Wade, who is representing the union, stated that his client has no issue with the court granting the additional time. However, he appealed to the judge for the government’s move to deduct salaries from the striking teachers and its refusal to deduct union dues on behalf of the teachers to be placed on hold, pending the outcome of the matter. At this point, what was supposed to be a short court appearance turned into approximately two hours as Nandlall argued vociferously against this move contending that the court should not stop the Government from implementing its ‘no work, no pay’ policy.
GPSU issues ultimatum to gov’t: Facing a three-week-old strike by teachers, the government was last week served with an industrial action ultimatum by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU). The Executive Council of the GPSU yesterday said it had unanimously decided at its Statutory Executive Council Meeting held on February 21, 2024, that an ultimatum be issued to the Government to meet at the bargaining table, the failure of which will result in industrial action to immediately end the government’s breach of the following guiding instruments of legal weight and force: 1. Agreement for the Avoidance and Settlement of Disputes, between the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Public Service Union of (1987), 2. Article 147 (3) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and 3. Section 23 (1) of the Trade Union Recognition Act Cap 97:07. In addition, a release from the union said that the GPSU places reliance on the Conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) ratified by the Parliament of Guyana, including Convention No. 87 concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize, Convention No. 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, and Convention No. 151 on Labour Relations (Public Service) which espouses minimum standards of the conduct for ollective Bargaining and the protection of the rights of workers to be unionized and be to represented by their duly certified and recognized Union with respect to any decision on the part of their employer that affects their salaries, wages, benefits, and other conditions of service. “This decision is also guided by the protections offered to workers in Guyana pursuant to the ILO’s ‘Declaration of the Fundamental Rights and Principles at Work’ of 1998 (as amended in 2022) which is of weight and in force under the Laws of Guyana as an unincorporated ratified treaty”, the release said. The GPSU said that the issues affecting workers in the Public Service, and government’s reluctance to meet at the bargaining table, or to conciliate to break the deadlock that has arisen, were discussed extensively at the Union’s meeting on February 21, 2024, which resulted from meetings with its members throughout the country. “The Union will continue to engage its members on this matter over the coming days through a committee which was established to ensure that the GPSU is mobilized, and all grievance procedures under the existing agreement (are) followed as we issue, and thereafter execute the ultimatum will now be directed to the government”, the union said. After the GPSU issued the ultimatum, Chief Labour Officer, Dhaneshwar Deonarine sought to excuse the Ministry of Labour’s inaction by producing advice from the Solicitor General Nigel Hawke dated February 21, 2024 stating that since the court had been approached by the union on the same matter, the court’s jurisdiction should prevail. Hawke had been written to about this matter on October 6th, 2023. There was no explanation from Hawke or Deonarine why the advice was only issued on February 21, 2024. Based on documents released by the Ministry of Labour, the GPSU has been pressing for years on collective bargaining without a fruitful response by the Public Service Ministry. GPSU President Patrick Yarde wrote to Deonarine on September 26th, 2023 declaring that there was a breakdown of industrial relations with the Ministry of Public Service.
Investment
Sod turned for US$300M Qatari resort at Carifesta Ave: The sod was turned last Sunday for a US$300 million resort and convention centre, at Carifesta Avenue, an initiative of a Qatari company, Assets Group. President of Power International Holding Ramez Al-Khayyat who disclosed this ballpark figure to Stabroek News yesterday during a sideline interview said that Assets Group was the sole investor in the landmark Georgetown seafront convention centre. He said that due to the conducive business climate here, Assets Group was motivated to invest in a project which would be beneficial to citizens. This newspaper understands that Al-Khayyat is also among the principals of Assets Group, a real estate development company owning a diverse portfolio of properties, hotels and resorts. Power International Holding is a Qatari-based conglomerate which operates general contracting, real estate, food and agriculture, hospitality, and services. During his remarks at the sod-turning ceremony, the businessman said that what will emerge is a five-star development with a unique design and outstanding facilities which will have a total of 76,000 square metres of built-up area. “This development will offer 260 hotel rooms and suites, 150 service apartments for long stay and premium villas, a members club, retail units which will offer international food and beverages and high luxury fashion brands,” he stated. Al-Khayyat said that the project is also expected to accommodate a state-of-the-art health club and will contribute significantly to Guyana’s tourism sector. “We believe that Guyana seafront resorts and convention centre will herald a new era of Guyana tourism and hospitality sector Insha’Allah,” Al-Khayyat said. “We firmly believe that this ground-breaking activity represents the first of a range of Power International Holding investments through its different groups of subsidiaries, [and] companies across the multiple sectors which include [but are] not limited to energy, petrochemical, oil and gas infrastructure and manufacturing services.” Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond said, “This particular event will, in the future, be looked upon as a critical inflection point in the extraordinary transformation in Guyana’s tourism and hospitality sector. It is not that the construction of this facility is transformational. In and of itself in truth, the resort will feature over 400 rooms… This may probably have a minimal impact on our development. “However, this initiative does not come in a vacuum. Rather, it comes in the context of the larger vision and strategy that we have for the hospitality industry.
Accountability
Feud between `Critic’, Mohamed could spell end of controversial pump station contract: A feud between social media personality, Mikhail Rodrigues and businessman, Azruddin Mohamed over finances could bring an end to the controversial award of the $865m Belle Vue pump station which had come under attack by opposition MPs. On social media last week, Mohamed disclosed that the contract of the Tepui Group Inc to build a wharf at Lot 49 Parker Street, Providence, East Bank Demerara was terminated as a result of $60 million being owed to him by Rodrigues also known as “Guyanese Critic”. The Tepui Group, in which Rodrigues is a principal, had been awarded the massive contract by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for the Belle Vue pump station despite complaints that it was unqualified and did not have the wherewithal for it. Mohamed related to the Sunday Stabroek that Rodrigues had borrowed money from him for the construction of the wharf but never paid him back. “He owes me sixty million Guyana dollars, I lend him money so that he can build this wharf at Providence on the East Bank and up to now he cannot account for the sixty million dollars which is loaned him”, Mohamed related. The businessman said that the social media commentator had also purchased an excavator from his company Mohamed’s Enterprise in the year 2022 which was eventually “confiscated” as a result of Rodrigues failing to pay the full amount for the machinery. Mohamed also noted that Rodrigues has an outstanding loan of $20 million to purchase equipment for a business venture. The businessman said that he would be taking legal action against Rodrigues. Rodrigues yesterday morning during his programme on social media admitted that he indeed purchased an excavator from the Mohameds but decided to return it after his friendship with the family became toxic.
GRA
GRA in new drive to boost petroleum depts: The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has embarked on a new drive to boost its petroleum cost recovery department and petroleum revenue department. The GRA has seen a number of its employees from these departments migrate to oil and gas companies here which have been paying higher salaries. In an advertisement recently in Stabroek News, the GRA said that the “unprecedented growth” of the petroleum sector and the resultant expansion of the oil and gas tax roll has conferred additional responsibility on the GRA to ensure that the demands of the oil and gas sector and its taxpayers are adequately met. The GRA said it is therefore in the process of developing a cadre of professionals. It said that it is seeking to hire talented individuals who would then be trained through partnerships with universities, the International Monetary Fund and GRA’s technical staff. It invited applications and said that a competency assessment will be administered and the successful applicants would be placed in one of the two departments. The essential requirements are that applicants must have completed or be actively pursuing the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA), the CPA, COPAs, a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy or any other accounting/auditing qualification with a minimum of two years’ experience. Persons with qualifications in the oil and gas field will be considered along with those with in-depth knowledge of auditing principles, practices and standards and knowledge of tax acts and regulations administered by the GRA. Applicants with some knowledge of tax avoidance practices and international tax issues would also be considered as would persons with knowledge of the Petroleum Activities Act and the various agreements signed between the Government of Guyana and the respective contractors for onshore and offshore petroleum blocks. Integrity, accountability, professionalism, respect-ability and the ability to be team-oriented are attributes being sought in applicants. Interested applicants are asked to indicate their interest to the Human Resource Management Department with detailed résumés on or before March 15, 2024.
In March 2019, just months before first oil in December that year, the GRA launched an international search for oil and gas experts.
Censorship
Child disqualified from Mash contest over poem on teacher’s working conditions: Another parent, Candace Martindale, has taken to social media to express her outrage at the decision taken by the Allied Arts Unit judges to disqualify her child’s entry into the regional Children’s Mashramani Poetry Competition. The poem was titled “Dear Minister” and dealt with a teacher’s working conditions. Dear Minister Not even a greeting, No “miss how are you? or “Miss how you doing?” Is a big red line next to my name/ they think this East Bank traffic easy/ plus I need some extra sleep on a morning/ especially with this big belly (pants and walks around on stage angry)/ Yuh know wuh, fuss lemme charge this fan/ then I’m gonna write a letter to Minister Priya Manickchand (grabs bag, sits with pen and book) Dear Minister Manickchand, This is a teachers, cry and overwhelming, “fed up” plea, I know salary is one thing, but I want to address the things you don’t see, The furniture falling, watch, watch, this chair ripping up my clothes and my stockings. Staffroom too small so I have to sit in this class whole day Can’t even catch my breath properly for five minutes (breathes and holds stomach) this life ain’t easy” This poem was supposed to be performed by Zoriah Martindale, but she was denied the opportunity after the Allied Arts Unit rejected her entry without a giving a reason. Martindale then took to Facebook to express her frustration with the development and her post stated, “My daughter attained the 1st place position at the 11-13 dramatic poetry regional competition. She recited a beautiful poem written by her teacher about the struggles she faced as a pregnant teacher. “Tomorrow (Friday) is the National competition and Allied Arts; the body reviewing the entries, decided today that they are disqualifying her entry. “Apparently you can’t say …about anything teacher related because all these “Free Arts” imposters aligning it with politics. I tired of the whole bunch of y’all!!!” The Sunday Stabroek reached out to both Martindale and the teacher, Kieana Greene, who wrote the poem. Greene stated that she was disappointed by the body’s decision to reject the entry, “I did not expect the piece to be disqualified, I was saddened and disappointed hearing this the night before the competition.” And the decision to disqualify the calypso of a six-year-old, Ezika Minty on the government’s 6.5% wage increased triggered outrage that the child right to free speech was being censored and that the ministry was being unduly sensitive to criticism in full contravention of the well-established social commentary evoked by decades of calypsos in the Caribbean.
Cocaine
CANU nabs two men at CJIA with large amount of cocaine: CANU last week held two men at the CJIA, Timehri with a large amount of cocaine which was intended to be loaded on a British Airways flight. One of the men was employed with a ground handling service and the other worked with a security contractor for airlines. The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) yesterday said that on Thursday its officers attached to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, while performing duties at the baggage shed area intercepted two males, who were observed retrieving four duffle bags over the CJIA’s fence from an unknown male. A search of the duffle bags led to the discovery of 64 brick-like parcels suspected to be cocaine. Travis Sealey, age 26, a shift leader attached to the New Timehri Handling Service (NTHS) and Koby Bakker, age 20, a ground security coordinator attached to Secure Inno-vations and Concept (SIC), both of Timehri, along with the suspected narcotic were escorted to CANU’s headquarters, where the suspected narcotic tested positive for cocaine and weighed 71.2 kg, which has an estimated street value of GY$64,000,000. CANU said that the narcotic was intended to be loaded on a British Airways Flight bound for St. Lucia (UVF), with onwards connection to the United Kingdom. If the narcotic had reached its intended destination, the estimated street value would have been over £3,000,000 which is equivalent to approximately $679m.
Murder
Taxi driver shot dead near Bourda Market: Teon Holder, a 41-year-old of Duncan Street, Newtown, Kitty, Georgetown, died last Saturday at around 5:10 am, at the intersection of Robb and Alexander streets after he was shot during a dispute. Holder, employed by Pretty Posse taxi service, was transporting a vendor when a dispute erupted with an unidentified individual over a parking spot. The situation escalated, leading to the assailant fatally shooting Holder.
