A banner reading “Did you know? Estate closure and sellout means an uncertain future for thousands of youths!” which was mounted on the fence of the Head Office of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) at High Street and Wights Lane, Kingston, Georgetown was vandalized around 1:00h this morning (August 16, 2017). The banner was placed on the fence for less than twenty-four (24) hours having replaced another banner which read:- “Did you know? Govt sugar plans will see 50,000 people pushed into poverty!” which was displayed for about two weeks.
The Union’s night guard reported that about six (6) men, seemingly youths, appeared suddenly and ripped the banner and took the cloth with them as they walked along the pavement towards the Umana Yana vicinity.
It is the first time since our Office’s location in Kingston, now sixteen (16) years, that such a destructive act was ever committed with respect to our banners. The GAWU is concerned about the motive of the persons who would have acted so destructively and/or who directed such an action in a reasonably well-lighted area and not very distant from the Police Headquarters, Eve Leary. A report of the matter has been tendered to the Guyana Police Force at the Brickdam Police Station.
The GAWU, in recent times, has been waging a sustained campaign in protesting the Government of Guyana’s ill-considered plans for the sugar industry. In this time, we have successfully concluded several marches, public meetings, picketing exercises, representations locally and internationally, engaging the Courts, among other things, to call attention to the grave and serious consequences that would befall thousands of Guyanese and scores of communities should the plans for the sugar industry be stubbornly and heartlessly pursued. Despite this latest adversarial attack against the Union, we will persist in our defence of the workers’ cause while promoting their interests. It is the Union’s duty to maintain our principled and forthright positions and reiterate our firm opposition to closure of estates and the sell-out that are being contemplated.
