PNC’s ‘No Confidence’ motion against Minister Nadir does not go far enough

Dear Editor,
I read in today’s (09-04-10) edition of the Kaieteur News a call by the PNC Party for a “No Confidence” Motion to be moved against the Minister of Labour, Mr. Mansoor Nadir.
In my opinion, the action of the PNC, with the majority of votes in the Opposition, does not go far enough.
The Opposition Members of Parliament should really be moving a motion of No Confidence against the entire PPP/C Government. That would be the only action in defence of all the working class people of Guyana that would make any sense.
As far as I am concerned the most compelling case for an immediate vote of “No Confidence” has already been made out against the extant Government, and it is for the Opposition Parties in Parliament to take the necessary steps to give voice to the feelings of a large section of the Guyanese public on this matter.
The World Class civil organisations such as Transparency International and others have already pronounced upon the unprecedented high levels of corruption that exists within the upper levels of the governmental organisations in Guyana. However, it is in the day-to-day travails of daily living in Guyana that the horrors of the failed status of the country come to life. Crime is rampant and unpredictable. Road carnage is un-mitigating in its horror and regularity of occurrence. Domestic violence is terrifying in its destruction of beautiful persons. Last of all, there is the out–of-control and sky rocketing cost of living and other expenses.
Let it be understood that protest marches and demonstrations are still effective tools to be used in democratic processes, and no one can bargain away the right to these exercises.
“Democracy” in a civilized world does not only mean winning an “Election”, but it also means that the will of the people could militate to request the resignation of an incumbent Government if that Government’s policies and operations are inimical to the interest of the people or are injurious to them in any way.
For myself I could say that the operations of the PPP/C Government has been “injurious” to me in the practice of my profession and I am sure that the majority of people in Guyana who do not support this Administration, have suffered “injuries” from them in various ways.
It is time for the people to understand what the available options are to offer redress to these problems that face them at this time.
I am one of the persons who protested along with the striking Bauxite workers last November, 2009 in front of the Ministry of Labour.
I consider the issues raised by the workers to be just ones and I fully understand the rationale for the actions being taken by them to seek reasonable working conditions.
I would understand the workings of the minds of bauxite workers better than most persons since I was born and grew up in a Bauxite community at a time when the bauxite company had considerable impact on the lives of the people on a daily basis. From the time of my birth, the incident of my being born, my name and that of my parents were recorded in the “Births” Column of the Demba Digest. All the children born to the employees of the Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA) was a matter of importance to the company, and was a cause for celebration by the wider community.
The electricity for the community was supplied by the Bauxite Company and in Wismar, some persons, my parents included, formed themselves into a Shareholding company and bought electricity from the bauxite company for re-distribution.
The major roads in the Mackenzie area were maintained by the bauxite company and the water treatment plant was also maintained by the company.
The Senior Secondary School in the area, the Mackenzie High School was never short of anything, whether it was chemicals for the laboratory, sporting gear and equipment or gifts for Speech Night ceremonies as long as the bauxite company was around.
The presence of various high level officials of the bauxite company at community events such as school sports and church fairs was a regular feature of our community.
I can still recall the days when no less than the CEO of the bauxite company, Mr. Haslyn Parris, would himself come and address the students and advise that the future generations who will be tasked with nation building must only strive for excellence from themselves.
I cannot imagine a bauxite company dismissing workers “behind their backs”, so to speak in a bauxite community, but such is one of the allegations that is being made in this present dispute.
Workers relate that in this present dispute other persons knew of their dismissal from their jobs even before the workers themselves were handed their dismissal letters. How low can this new bauxite administration get?
The danger is that the bauxite dispute can take on a community response, and for that reason an early resolution of this matter may be in the best interest of all.
From all indications, the power of the trade unions in this country is likely to grow stronger in the days, weeks and months ahead. There are a lot of international organisations which have proliferated from trade union movements world wide and which are fully powered by Associated interest groups.
In so far as Mr. Mansoor Nadir is the Minister of Labour, mandated by the relevant legislation, to execute certain actions and if those actions are not done then it would seem that the PNC party should succeed in the motion that they have in mind to table.
What may be the tragedy here is that this particular Minister, Mr. Nadir is one of the few persons in the PPP/C Party whom I consider to be quite human and reasonable.
The blame should be placed where the problem really originated, and that is at the start of the negotiations by the PPP/C Government to unleash a bauxite company with a somewhat unsatisfactory industrial relations practice on the unsuspecting bauxite communities and their people and even their Minister.
Whenever the PNC Party is ready to move its motion of “No Confidence” against the governing party and they are ready to walk that road I will not wait for them to invite me to come.
I will be there with them, up front, leading the parade.
Juliet Holder-Allen