Georgetown : The Alliance for Change (AFC) represented by Kojo McPherson and Gerhard Ramsaroop, and accompanied by political activist Freddie Kissoon, met with eight of the nine workers who were summarily dismissed on March 28th. The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) had previously issued a statement detailing an alleged attempt by the workers to steal items from the now defunct La Bonne Intention (LBI) factory.
The AFC however, responded to the workers’ request to meet with them because they allege there is a political dimension to the issue. They related they were instructed by Mr Vijay Sookdeo, a mill and boiler engineer, to remove, in addition to the hardwood and carrier slats, whatever else they thought could be used at Enmore. They also asserted, in contradiction to GuySuCo’s statement, that they were never issued with a specific cart note. According to the workers, Mr Sookdeo confirmed all this to management.
The incident occurred on February 17th , and the workers were not written to until March 12th , a few days after the strikes of March 8th and 9th . One of the workers, Deochan Singh aka Sharma, who is a machinery operator and a factory representative, was not only instrumental in the strike of March 9th and an earlier strike on February 28, but he also exposed deficiencies and inefficiencies at the Enmore Factory and Packaging Plant. This is now the second time that GuySuCo has sought to get rid of him because of his political affiliation and activism. This is therefore, the political dimension of the issue.
The AFC does not in any way, shape or form, condone any illegality and finds theft from the state to be particularly abhorrent as it is the taxpayer who loses. However, to hold nine persons accountable in a matter that was neither reported to nor investigated by the police cannot be just. The AFC is therefore, calling on GuySuCo to have the issue investigated by the relevant authorities and let the chips fall where they may. Seven of the nine workers have given service to GuySuCo ranging from 10 to 34 years, and being summarily dismissed will deprive them of their benefits.
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