Miners of Bartica say GGMC has unjustly relocated Pork knockers’ Day

Aug 25, 2017 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Only a decade ago a small event called Pork Knockers Day celebration in Bartica was born. It is a one day yearly event set aside for employers in the mining industry to show their appreciation for their employees whereby tents would be set up by a venue chosen by Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and where free a bar, food and other tokens of appreciation for mining workers will be distributed to the employees and other persons visiting and celebrating with pork knockers.
This event has quickly grown to become a national event, economic boost to business community and the economy of Bartica and attracting thousands of Guyanese at home in the diaspora who would all journey to Bartica with friends and family to show their appreciation for mining workers at this annual event.
However, sad but true, there is a rapidly and noticeable decline in showing of appreciation for the workers as begun in 2015 Pork Knocker’s Day with only one employer being there. In 2016, no employer was present at the Pork Knocker’s Day celebration and in 2017 on the 19th day of August with no Pork Knocker’s Day, only a playoff was hosted by GGMC which resulted in a disaster, failure and a total mess. Also evident in the last three years is the absence of government officials at these celebrations and appreciations for mining workers.
This magnanimous event to show our appreciation for workers was reduced to a failed play off by GGMC which remains the sole organizer of this event. If this year’s play off attracted 50 persons including GGMC staff and vendors that was many, how sad and disappointing. As disagreements and other unresolved issues between government and gold and diamond miners association rage on and the non-participation of employers in this appreciation of activities for workers, one thing is for sure; the workers remain the victims of a row they are innocent of.
For sure, the non-participation of employers which is clear as crystal is being effective and is taking its toll on these mining celebrations. These celebrations which were intended to show our appreciation for mining workers will never be the same without employers’ participation in these activities. As a born Bartician and a former mining worker myself, I am calling on both the government and the gold and diamond miners association to take ‘baby steps’ and find a solution. Right now there seems to be no way to have their disagreement and other unresolved issues resolved.
The contribution of miners to the development of Bartica has not gone unnoticed by Barticians who are all connected to mining either by work or business as Bartica, the frontier for mining, was built on, remains and still depends on mining in the absence of factories and industries.
Mining has outperformed all other sectors. It remains the largest contributor to Guyana’s GDP. It remains the life line of Guyana’s economy. With the shifting of Pork Knockers Day celebrations from the frontier of mining to Linden without prior consultation with Barticians by GGMC is unfair and very disrespectful to Barticians and I am calling on GGMC to offer a public apology to Barticians for the disrespectful manner in which they went about this year’s organizing of the Bartica leg of events.
I am sure there is a reason or reasons but whatever the reasons are for doing so, it should have been in the public’s domain prior to the holding of the failed playoffs so the general public and Barticians would have been informed. Bartica from all signs and indication was excluded from this year’s mining week calendar of events. Mining week is being celebrated from 20th August to 26th August 2017. Bartica’s leg of events was held on the 19th making Bartica not part of the Calendar of Events. This is disrespectful and unfair.
Was this a spiteful move by GGMC in retaliation to the boycott by employers? Whatever the disagreements between GGMC, Government and the miners association, Barticians and the business community should not be denied our annual pork knocker’s day celebration. Have Barticians become victims of a row they know nothing of? It is not what you do but how you do it. I condemn in the highest form of condemnation the unilateral decision by GGMC to shift this national event that Barticians have grown accustom to and look forward to yearly.
Over the years to present, GGMC remains in charge of organizing mining month/week of activities for workers, however, the time has come for that to change as GGMC does not hold either of the two titles ‘employers of the employees’ or ‘representative of the workers’. In the future, GGMC should not be left to be the sole organizer of the mining events for workers. I am suggesting a tri party organizing committee with representative of government, miners association and mining workers’ representatives and a consideration for a subvention by the government through the ministry of natural resources with the monies coming from GGMC , a very wealthy state agency, so with or without employers participation workers will have a successful month/week of appreciation.
Despite this disrespect by GGMC to Barticians, as a Bartician, trade unionist and president of the National Mine Workers Union, I am appealing to the miners and Barticians not to boycott the Pork Knockers Day celebration on the 26th day of August 2017 in Linden. But let us all go out, celebrate and show our appreciation for the mining workers and Lindeners whose hospitality knows no limit and keep the tradition of appreciation for mining workers.
Sherwyn Delano Downer

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