By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – President of the Guyana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) Komal Chand says the recent firing of the Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Company (GuySuCo) is disturbing; however he is not denying that in the last few years the sugar sector recorded a dismal performance.
Chand in an interview with iNews on Friday, June 05 said given the fact that GAWU represents a large percentage of the workers in the sugar belt, the union should have been consulted prior to the sacking of Dr Rajendra Singh.
“We have recognized and we have noticed the removal of the board and the dismissal of the CEO and these are very fundamental decisions that had been made…unfortunately as a stakeholder speaking on behalf of the thousands of workers we were not even spoken to on the matter…so we are very much disturbed about this decision,” said Chand.
The GAWU President also critiqued the APNU+AFC government on the non-consultancy of the appointment of an Interim Management Committee to manage the affairs of the company while a Commission of Inquiry is being conducted.
However it should be noted that while some persons have been named in the media, the government is yet to pronounce on the persons appointed to the IMC.
“We were not told that this would have taken place…so that when we spoke to our members we could have explained what is going on,” said Chand noting that it was a complete failure to adequately inform the stakeholders of the pivotal decision.
When asked what were his thoughts regarding the performance of Dr Singh, Chand declined to comment but did state that the sugar industry was not performing as it should.
“The industry’s production was lagging…we have been saying this all the time…our production level is not in keeping with the capacity that it has…it was below what is possible,” said the GAWU President.
he had 20 add yrs where e did not do any thing for the workers but push them more in the struggle we hen e we recieving fat money from the ppp
I am tempted to ask,who are you Chand,to suggest,that this Coalition should have consulted you about the dismissal of the CEO Singh,who was alledgedly paid $25,000 US and the board of directors,who I believe were incompetent to do the job,and who squandered and misused TAXPAYERS DOLLARS?and you being part of the CABAL.How could you have represented these workers conscientiously and FAIRLY?
STOP shedding crocodile tears,do your job and STOP being HYPOCRITICAL.
This man shameless he find time to defend his friend and party colleague and not he 15,000 workers who put bread on his plate. IT IS TIME he be given the BOOT. Workers fed up with his partial leadership. I bet you he will seek to call off the next Union congress fearing the loss of his warm seat at the workers expense. He look after his eyes and ears lately but he failed to curb his tongue which should be speaking for the workers is gaming fro the Manager, his bosom friend. Out goes he can we do it yes we can.
Get rid of him, another stooge who didn’t want to complain and demand when his “kith and kin” were in charge thieving…..
its for foreingners to take over….run down an then sell to their croonies
Komal and his canine instincts are for those who wallow in political filth and ideological miasmic stuff. Did Raj Singh consulted with you when he hired the south african at $80us per day for 12 hours a day? Did he consulted with you or seepaul when Ompetabh was removed form Skeldon for a statement that Seepaul made on the consultant?
Did the Government consulted with you when they hired your colleague Raj Singh?
You have said many things … you now need to accept that the new government is not going to take easily the venom that you intend to spew on the industry.
As a stakeholder you can now from the outside shut the industry down quicker with your ignorance.
You and your union have brought nothing new to the table and it is now clear where this is heading. You and the PPP by your action will determine the future of the industry and all of those who depends on it? Raj Singh pressure should raise up now and what come sa do.
It is time the Company GUYSUCO starts to speak to its employees and not leave that function to the Union GAWU and NAACIE as the case is here. The company over the years has been guilty of leaving the communication of major changes and decisions within the company to the Unions who obviously would do so with the slant no benefiting the Company. They must stop using the Radio and television programs to be the mouth pieces and have real HR Managers on Estates to communicate frequently with the total workforce… major blunder of the Corporation management no one on the ground is explaining to the workforce the plans and doing it in a way which allows for feedback from the employees.. an aloof management ..
WHY IS HE DISTURBED? AT THIS POINT, EVERYONE WHO CRITICIZES THE FIRING OF RAJINDRA SINGH, WERE IN CO-HOOTS WITH HIM AND THE MISSING 154 MILLION DOLLARS. SO EITHER RETURN YOUR PORTION OF THE LOOT, OR SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE HELL UP!
There is something call emergency and the Govt.would do what they think is fit in the interest of the people,i am sure those things will be discussed later.Chand expect the Govt to sit and fold their hands and allow the ppp/c to do as they like,no way.Everything the Govt.do they critisise and they find fault,they fail to realise that they are not the Govt.anymore and they have to be more constructive.All they preach now is violence,hatred and racism.
Again we see where the expediency of political and ethnic partisanship transcends the values of integrity, honesty and accountability. I did not see him coming out and condemning the assertion that the board had no money to pay the workers he represented, or even congratulate the Government for acting expeditiously to remedy that situation. But he is alarmed because the architects behind the destruction of the viability of the sugar industry have been sent packing.
There is one thing that one can predict in the behavior and reactions of those who have been affiliated with the PPP. Ethnic and Party affiliation trumps everything else
Komal Chand should proceed on retirement and get off the scene. GAWU is a major contributor to the downfall of Guysuco. The proof, GAWU assets and financial worth grew at the expense of Guysuco. GAWU is the main reason for the downfall of GuySuco because of too much political leverage. Komal Chand is a real hypocrite. He did not take up the offer of being on the GuySuco board by the previous administration because he knew the problem lies squarely with GAWU. I agree that he should not be consulted on any appointment, since he never accept responsibility for the state of GuySuco even though he now claim GAWU is a major stakeholder.
Hey Komal, if you want taxpayers money ploughed into the industry let the taxpayers` representatives decide on who should be holding the purse strings!