Carvil Duncan speaks to divided Labour Day crowd

 

[www.inewsguyana.com] – Just when it was thought that the division among the Trade Union movements lingered only at the top command level, those who marched under the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) found out differently.

The address today, Thursday, May 1 by President of FITUG, Carvil Duncan to the gathering at the National Park after the May Day rally saw mixed reactions from those who gathered.

Duncan, who spoke from the tarmac of the National Park to the workers seated on the stands, received heckling response to many of his comments including those about the decision of the Parliamentary Opposition to disapprove aspects of the National Budget.

Also present at the FITUG rally were Acting President Samuel Hinds, General Secretary of the PPP, Clement Rohee and Junior Finance Minister, Juan Edghill.

A section of the gathering was commenting that the cutting of the budget was in order and supported the move by the Parliamentary Opposition. At one point, Duncan while speaking paused to say “And I just heard someone in the crowd said to restore the budget”.

That comment was greeted by laughter by a section of the crowd. Duncan told the rally that had it not been for their presence [FITUG] outside the National Assembly to show the Opposition that they supported the budget; the cuts would have been deeper. According to Duncan, “had it not been for the scissors the Guyanese people would have been happier.”

The rally at the National Park was told that when it came to the allocations for Linden, the sums were approved but projects like the CJIA and speciality hospital were denied. Again sections of the crowd made statements in support of the disapproval. [Leroy Smith]