Dear Editor,
Unsafe work practices have left many without their daily bread. The unlucky ones have left us and those that are fortunate have survived the neglect that places progress over safety. Neglected landmarks fall as new ones are erected. Transformation and expansion continue as death on the roads remains the norm. Sectors boom as safe working practices are an afterthought. A May Day celebration occurs while workers strike.
Workers’ rights and the progress of our unions have been sidelined. There is more in the treasury, but less in our pockets. Promises are broken, while those responsible are applauded and promoted. Is this the transformation and progress that we seek? Is this the shared development for all members of our society that is coming? It is a redefined meaning of universal suffrage that we can do without. The manager and the worker should share in the successes and also share in the challenges and burdens. Favouritism has no place when we all strive together to achieve a better future. The conscience of our society has been made dormant in the name of progress.
Let not the building continue upon the blood of our workers. We must see an advancement in environmental, health and safety policies and practices as we seek to progress.
Companies with poor safety records should not be allowed to continue to bid for contracts without first showing an improvement. This would have helped prevent the ongoing embarrassment of the government and the tender process. The current level of inspectors and inspections that ensure safety requirements are being followed are far from what is urgently needed in the mining and construction sectors. Yet, transformational expansion continues to take priority and workers continue to risk their lives. The lure of a quick dollar has made law and order on the roads elusive. The minibus saga has kept repeating its sad tale. The general attitude towards keeping customers safe while on their way to work has been one of cattle ranchers trying to move as many heads as possible during a chaotic stampede. The enforcers of the laws turn a blind eye to the unnecessary risks being taken. Thirty extra minutes is all that is needed to keep the pace within the speed limit and to be on time.
Demanding safety for each other from each other will return as a norm when we value each other’s lives more than a dollar. Enjoying the pace of the day at its norm will give the patience that reduces the noise on the road and the rage that is now prominent. Transformation cannot occur at the expense of the living. Our wealth cannot increase at the expense of our health. Our progress cannot continue if the environment is ruined and our workers cannot be safe. Safety comes first, then all else may follow. Of what use is it all if the cost remains too high? Of what use is it all if you cannot return home after earning a honest living? If a company cannot place the safety of its workers at the forefront of its decision making, then that company cannot be allowed to operate.
Let the transformation we seek first occur with the transformation of our attitudes towards safety. No one wants to look upon a new road or a new building and remember that workers died while making this happen. That blood was shed at that intersection. That he fell from that floor when they were building. Our society is closed knit and we all remember when our people’s blood was shed.
Sincerely,
Mr. Jamil Changlee Chairman
The Cooperative Republicans of
Guyana
