Why can’t GAWU acknowledge that this gov’t took the brave decision to confront the sugar problem?
May 26 2018
Dear Editor,
I refer to the GAWU General Secretary’s letter to the press in yesterday’s Stabroek News ` Sugar’s future is not bleak as it is being made out to be’, which takes me to task for complimenting the government for its decision to confront the sugar problem. In the process, Mr. Narine reiterated his union’s narrative of the sugar workers plight against the backdrop of the government’s decisions in that regard. As the labour representative of the sugar workers, I expect nothing less from GAWU.
But, after reading Mr. Narine’s letter, I am even more convinced that Guyana has a long way to go as far as political and ethnic reconciliation is concerned. The General Secretary isolates for denunciation the part of my comment that is favourable to the government but completely ignores the other part that is consistent with his union’s perspective. The truth is that I complimented the government for its decision to tackle the problem but criticized its implementation of the plan that GuySuCo put forward.
Why can’t GAWU and the PPP acknowledge that this government took the brave decision to confront the sugar problem that everybody knows could not continue forever—a decision that made economic sense and that if handled properly would in the long run benefit the sugar industry, sugar workers and the rest of Guyana? As soon as the government came into office, it set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the problem. A “rightsizing” plan aimed at making the industry viable ensued. Compensation for affected workers was included. While all of this is going on, the government has pumped billions of dollars’ worth of subsidy in the industry and recently committed another $30 billion towards upgrading the closed estates in preparation for their privatization. In fact, the government’s action on the sugar industry is the closest it has come to a clear policy on anything.
Yet, Mr. Narine, his union and by extension the PPP say the government lacks compassion for sugar workers. Yes, the government has done a terrible job at executing the plan and in the process many workers have been negatively affected. But how does that amount to lack of compassion? Since GAWU is an experienced union, it cannot be accused of ignorance. One is left to conclude that GAWU’s narrative is inspired less by compassion for its members and more by the PPP’s project of demonization of the government.
One of Guyana’s greatest enemies is its zero-sum politics and political culture. It is counterproductive and takes our country further and further to the edge. It is not my way—I try, as I did in the comments referred to by Mr. Narine, to be as evenhanded as I can. Mr. Narine and GAWU should know that the very comments for which they find me guilty of “showering plaudits” on the government have been hammered by government supporters who have called me all the bad names usually set aside for Satan. Zero-sum politics and political conversation in Guyana are out of control.
Yours faithfully,
David Hinds
Sugar’s future is not bleak as it is being made out to be
May 26 2018
Dear Editor,
Our Union has seen a report titled “APNU+AFC gov’t has been visionless – David Hinds” which appeared in the May 21, 2018 edition of Stabroek News. That news item, among other things, reports Dr David Hinds as saying in relation to the Government’s approach to the sugar industry that the Coalition “…must be commended for confronting the problem”. The WPA Executive and newspaper columnist, is then quoted to have said “[w]hile previous governments have kicked the ball down the road, this one decided to tackle the problem…”. In his comments, we also recognized that Dr Hinds decried the Administration’s failure to effectively communicate its approach to sugar.
The GAWU is supportive of everyone’s right to an opinion, a freedom that is now under seeming threat by the Cybercrime Bill as currently crafted. At the same time we cannot fail to place on record our strong disagreement with the apparent plaudits Dr Hinds is showering on the Administration for its destructive approach to the sugar industry and the well-being of thousands of Guyanese.
We wonder how one can be pleased when sugar workers are the only group of the State’s employees to have had their wages frozen since the APNU+AFC took power. Then the sugar workers have faced assault after assault with many of their hard won rights and benefits just taken away or ignored. Then after all of that, they are told that they are not needed and their jobs are taken away without any consideration about how they would survive. Certainly, in our view, it is not a situation in which one can commend, as Dr Hinds has done.
Moreover, the situation in the sugar belt need not be the way it is. There are real workable alternatives. We see GuySuCo itself borrowing $30B to make its estates viable by moving into greater diversification, something GAWU advocated and the Sugar Commission of Inquiry (CoI) recommended. The fact that as many as 70 parties are interested in acquiring the now closed estates, described as unprofitable and inefficient, in our view, says a mouthful. The future is not bleak as it is being made out to be. The fact that so many people are suffering and so many communities are finding themselves in difficult times is a situation that Guyanese, known for their concern for their fellow citizens, cannot take comfort or pride in. The absence of any consideration of the implications of the decisions taken and, more so, the absence of any compassion, or even regret, by the decision-makers of the sad situation they created are beyond any reasonable words.
Yours faithfully,
Seepaul Narine
General Secretary
GAWU
