Situation of Bermine workers a consequence of PNC neglect
Stabroek News
May 28, 2002
Dear Editor,
The suffering of the Bermine workers is a consequence of clear neglect by the PNC of a certain section of the people even though they are supporters of his political party.
I say this because the government had proposed the merging of the Aroaima Bauxite Company (ABC) and Bermine so that workers would not suffer unjustly.
This, however, was objected to by Mr Hoyte and the Chairman of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union, Mr Lincoln Lewis who is supposed to be representing workers. Do you represent workers fairly by not ensuring the best for them in terms of ensuring that their jobs are secured?
Now the Bermine workers believe that part of the solution would be to merge Bermine and ABC now - a proposal that the Government had made earlier, because it was concerned about workers of the bauxite company!
Now, all this talk too, about Viceroy, another angle of the whole bauxite situation. This was not initiated by the ruling PPP/C. When Haslyn Paris was Deputy Prime Minister under the former PNC Government; he gave exclusive rights to the Viceroy operation.
Prime Minister Sam Hinds only renewed this agreement. The Government does not want to dismiss everything that the former Government had effected.
On Thursday last, Presi-dent Bharrat Jagdeo and Prime Minister Sam Hinds met with representatives of the mining company where they agreed the Government will take over certain responsibilities at Kwakwani that are currently funded by Bermine. Among these are schools, hospitals, and electricity.
This consideration could not make it clearer how much the Government cares and is concerned for all sections of the people across the country.
What could be more significant than the expression of willingness by Government to consider a proposal to merge ABC and Bermine?
Had the PNC agreed with the proposal of the Government, the workers of Bermine would not have been in dejection.
The Government has accused the opposition of displaying neither interest in nor representation of its supporters, and this is clear for all to see. It is the PPP/C that is representing all Guyanese without marginalising any section or anyone!
Yours faithfully,
P. Bhami