The GAWU again is forced to correct the innuendoes of Mr Lincoln Lewis which he expressed in his letter titled “Similar treatment must be meted for other workers and their unions” appearing in the January 17, 2022, Kaieteur News.
Mr Lewis commences his latest diatribe by invoking the name of our Union’s late President, Cde Komal Chand. We can say without hesitation that Cde Komal would not have allowed the name of the GAWU to be besmirched by anyone. Yet in a twisted manner, Lincoln seeks to equate our defence of the work of the GAWU to somehow justifying what he considers as injustices to other workers. This is a most absurd conclusion and one that has no logical connection to the basis of our response to him. The GAWU upholds that workers rights and conditions must be respected. We also hasten to remind Lincoln that every Guyanese has a right to support or not support organisations. Certainly, we will not decry Mr Lewis’ support of organisations and one does not expect him to do the same.
Mr Lewis seemingly attacks the Government grant to redundant sugar workers. We are surprised that Lincoln would take such a stance especially given that he admits that he and his Union obtained similar payments for redundant bauxite workers. Undoubtedly, the payment to the bauxite workers, like the sugar workers, took account of the circumstances they confronted. Nonetheless, we are appreciative of Mr Lewis’ past efforts, and we thought he would be heartened to know his contributions are benefitting workers still. It appears we were wrong given the negative slant adopted by the long-standing unionist.
Mr Lewis then turns to the struggles with the BCGI. GAWU stood alongside Lincoln and his Union during the most recent manifestation of the workers struggles. I joined Lincoln and other colleagues to engage the workers in Kwakwani. Maybe this was forgotten. Nonetheless, we are told that the workers did not benefit from a grant like sugar workers. However, like GAWU’s support to the bauxite workers struggles, Lincoln fails to share that the workers received their salaries for certain period through the state-owned NICIL. Similar treatment was not afforded to sugar workers. We, at that time, did not denounce the payments and did not seek to label the workers and their organisations as privileged. Yet now when sugar workers receive some compensation for the injustice and hardship, they suffered they are denigrated. We are told by Mr Lewis that ostensibly terminal benefits were incorrectly calculated to former workers of the BCGI. If this is indeed the case, then there is always recourse to the judiciary. Our Union was forced to take this path on several occasions with success. Certainly, given the strong sentiments expressed we are led to believe that the case has a strong chance of success.
On the dispute at Albion Estate, we hasten to share with Mr Lewis he is misinformed. An agreement was reached between the GAWU and the GuySuCo at the bilateral level through frank and mature negotiations. There was no involvement of the Ministry of Labour.
It is disconcerting that Lincoln is seeking to denounce the success of our efforts. Those successes come through our hard work and respect of process and procedure. Undoubtedly, Mr Lewis, a unionist of known repute, ought to be very much familiar with. Instead of expressing criticism and offering spurious, unfounded rationales for GAWU’s efforts, Mr Lewis should redouble his efforts to ensure that workers under his leadership obtain justice. My comrade, you need to spend your energy to represent your members and stop picking on GAWU. We are proud of our successes on behalf of our members.
