No one was authorised to issue a joint statement on GuySuCo by FITUG and GTUC

Dear Editor,

My attention has been drawn to a joint statement in the Stabroek News, dated April 8, 2018 under the caption, “FITUG/ GTUC against Agriculture Ministry gaining responsibility for GuySuCo”, purportedly issued by the Guyana Trades Union Congress and FITUG. Unfortunately, there has been a gross misrepresentation concerning the statement.

In order to correct that misrepresentation, I wish to state that neither the Executive Council of the Guyana Trades Union Congress nor its President authorized anyone to act on their behalf to hold discussions with FITUG on the subject, or to issue a statement.

As is its practice, the Guyana Trades Union Congress will remain steadfast in the promotion of and support for the legitimate rights of all workers. Indeed, it is also a policy of the Guyana Trades Union Congress to foster closer cooperation with FITUG and generally to work towards the unification of the movement, which is a work in progress.

As a matter of fact, last Friday, April 6, 2018, these two umbrella bodies met in the boardroom of the Guyana Trades Union Congress and were engaged in working out the modalities of our joint May Week activities and agreeing on a date for a one day conference.

As the chair for that meeting, I was startled and extremely disturbed to have read such a statement, when this issue was never an item on the agenda and further, was never discussed during the meeting.

Yours faithfully, Coretta McDonald President Guyana Trades Union Congress

Editor’s note The statement came in the form of a press release headed, ‘FITUG/ GTUC Press Release: It is time to end hopscotching approach to the sugar industry’. Our electronic records indicate that it was sent to our Hotmail address on Friday evening, and the email sender was GAWU.