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FM
Former Member

MAY DAY 2016
HON MOSES V. NAGAMOOTOO
PRIME MINISTER OF GUYANA & FIRST VICE PRESIDENT

Mr. Chairman,
President and General Secretaries of GTUC and FITUG,
Esteemed Ministers of government,
My wife Sita,
General Secretary of the PPP and other members of Parliament,
Union Members. Brothers and Sisters

I sat here today listening to the free expression of criticisms of our 11 month government and I realised that today is historic. For there to be this open freedom, free expressions, I could only recall the words of Martin Luther King: “free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”


Today, I bring greetings from the Government of Guyana, from President David Granger who could not be here as he is abroad attending a summit on energy, to field, factory and office workers, especially the disciplined forces for whom some advocacy has been made (we hear you!); essential services employees, doctors and nurses who couldn’t be here; and prison wardens.
I bring greetings to workers who are ill or injured; workers in our hinterland; workers in mines, quarrying and forestry concessions, who also couldn’t be here, to celebrate with us the most important workers’ day.
I heard so much love expressed her today for workers: we MUST honour ALL agreements made by the former government; that these are binding.

Should we honour agreements that do not provide for Guyanese workers to be hired on projects by foreign companies?

Do we honour agreements that hive off our electro-magnetic spectrum, our radio and TV licenses, to friends, families and cronies?

Should we honour agreements that give away our forests, millions of hectares, in exchange for honorary doctoral degrees?

Do we honour corrupt agreements that allow the rape of our forests and the plunder of our minerals?


But when I heard my brother and good friend, Lincoln Lewis, speaking, he found everything under the sun for which he could criticize and indict this 11-month-old coalition. I remember when I was teaching in West Berbice. I was at the cinema at Rosignol and an old man in the front seat was moving from side to side. Someone in the back tapped his shoulder and asked why was he doing that. He explained that he was working in a ship, but was retired, and he was left with the motion of swaying side to side.


Brother Lewis has practised that speech for over 20 years and he doesn’t realise that the old ship has gone, the government has changed, but he is left with the motion.

 


Independence
Friends, 50 years ago, right in this park, Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan, two irreplaceable, national leaders, embraced.

As we welcomed independence as a sovereign nation, that embrace had symbolised national unity. It was short lived.

Now Burnham & Jagan Children are telling us

we must live in Love Harmony, Peace & Unity.


 
Today, 50 years later, when we are observing our Golden Jubilee as an independent state, the two factions of the labour movement – TUC and FITUG – embraced.


Today is a celebration of working class, ethnic and national unity ….even symbolically so. Let us hope that this is the first, giant step towards the reunification of the working class movement in Guyana.


Last year, on this day, when David Granger and I joined the march, it ended up at two separate venues. It was our version of labour apartheid.


Today, there is apparent reconciliation. There still remain two factions, but one march. Let the healing begin, not only among our trade unions but among our people, especially our working people. No more should we have, as we saw in the recent local government elections, a political party campaigning to mobilise only one ethnic group, all for the sake of power – even at the village level!

 


Homecoming
For me this is homecoming, today. I have always considered myself as a labour man. The labour movement has been my political incubator. The red flag, for me, remains the symbol of struggle and the banner of our Guyana revolution.
As a politician and journalist, i have came to know over a period of 40 years some of the finest trade unionists like Joseph Pollydore (and I find the motion to honour him, meritorious), Ashton Chase, Harrylall, Boysie Ramkarran, Bertice Bangaree, Gordon Todd, the brave George Daniels (whom I met again for the first time since 1989), N.K. Gopaul, Komal Chand, Norris Witters, Patrick Yarde and, yes, my friend Lincoln Lewis, and many others.
They have invariably stood at the cutting edge of struggles, and at times viewed as “enemies of the state” due to an authoritarian, political impulse that had intruded into the labour arena.
Today, we must leave that past behind us.

I can assure you, that you have friends in government.

You are our allies and partners.

Labour forms an important part in our model of industrial, trade union and participatory democracy.

Just as I had done throughout my career, I came to government with a genuine commitment to labour. In the 2015 coalition Manifesto I said this:

“The success of our plans depends on genuine partnership between state and investors, and with trade unions and workers. There must be a new day for both business and labour”. Page 7.
Our Manifesto pledged (page 25) :
1. Restoration of collective bargaining throughout the public service. Collective bargaining has been slaughtered in Guyana some 20 years ago. Yet, today we hear about “collective bargaining; collective bargaining; collective bargaining” coming from those who presided over the funeral rites of collective bargaining!
2. End fragmentation and restore solidarity and dignity to the labour movement
3. Restore the check off system for automatic deduction of union dues
4. Ensure that Guyanese are employed at all projects
5. Provide subvention to all legally constituted and functioning trade unions. Do you hear? Subvention for trade unions!
6. Restore the government subvention to Critchlow Labour College to ensure that there is reproduction of union leadership through training and that the children of workers secure an education.
7. Reform and modernise public service
8. Establish a salaries review commission

On the latter, I wish to this:
We are committed to pay salary increase for 2016 after submission of the COI report. It is this government that has decided to reform the Public Service, and part of this reformation is not only a training college for you but to have a commission to evaluate what you do and have stratification of job responsibilities and assignments so that you can be compensated in accordance with your work.
Instead of one-off, we would wish a long-range arrangement that goes beyond wages and salaries. We want a return to merit increments. We must reward hard work and honesty. We must professionalise the public service and restore respect and commitment to duty.
New Arrangement
Much has been said as if this government, which is a partner of labour, has been sitting on its hands in these last 12 months. But I want to let you know that the contours of this new arrangement I talked about have been emerging:-
(A) We paid a small, modest, wage increase then top it up with a $5,000 incentive
(B) We increased the minimum wage to $50,000.
(C) We raised income tax threshold from $600,000 to $660,000. This benefits 68,000 workers.
(D) We raised old age pensions and increased the number of these pensioners by 18%
(E) We zero-rated more basic, essential items free from VAT, amounting to over $180 million
(F) We reduced the price of gas and diesel at the pump
(G) We reduced the residential and commercial GPL energy charges
(H) We resumed transfer of subsidies to sugar workers. A tranch of $3 billion was made this year. But we hear here that the coalition does not love sugar workers. No mention was made that even whilst we were in the opposition, we voted as bailouts for the sugar industry, some $17 billion of taxpayers’ money. Those who say they love the workers did not say that they spent $47 billion to repair a sugar factory, Skeldon, that became a white elephant; that they placed the industry in $82 billion debt.
(I) Of course, i didn’t agree with how the announcement of the closure of the Wales factory was done. It think it was a public relations disaster. And I had asked the Agriculture Minister and Guysuco to meet the workers, talk with the workers, explain to the workers what to expect. I could not bludgeon Guysuco’s board, because they would say “Nagamootoo politically interfering”.
(J) We are committed to helping all workers that was why we reduced the toll for the Berbice Bridge crossing, and provided river taxis for school children.
(K) Under the five “Bs” initiative, many more children benefit from school buses, boats, bicycles and even breakfast.
(L) But some came here and complained that we painted the buses green. When you have rats in your house and need a cat to catch them, do you ask whether the cat is white or black? No. All you want to know is whether the cat can catch rats.
(M) I am sorry but my friend Lincoln must make up his mind whether he wants to hunt with the cat or run with the rats!

 

Labour bill

These were small measures to bring some relief to our working people, especially the working poor. They cannot cope with wages alone. But the impression is being given that our government has made no provision for wages and salaries.

This year the coalition set aside $43.8 billion for wages and salaries, as employment costs; and an additional $6.6 billion for benefits and allowances. The state carries a bill of $50.4 billion for workers.
Any increase has to await the report of the Commission and negotiations, to ensure that we follow procedures, and best practices as regards the relations between government and trade unions, and allow the process to take its course. I will not discredit the Commission that is called the Luchman Commission that is trying to complete the stratification and adjustment to the public service for fixing wages.
We have guaranteed the salary bill for labour in spite of great pressures to fund unforeseen cases like:-
• El nino, where we funded irrigation and dispatched pumps to help farmers; and dug, no drilled, wells in the Rupununi which was hardest hit by the drought.
• We had to divert monies to fight Zika which, in spite of the prayers by some, did not develop into an epidemic. We have six cases but it took the resources and attention of our medical services to contain it thus far.
• Then we had to deal with the prison riot, the left over problem of the former regime. You couldn’t have 1000 prisoners at a place made for 600. That was known before. So we inherited a recipe for a riot.
• We inherited other left over problems like the cases that the brilliant minds of the former regime lost and we have to pay billions in settlement of court orders, which we cannot and will not disobey.

Brothers and sisters, we know that change of government has brought great expectations that all of life’s problems would be resolved. Your expectations are not without reasons, as workers and their families have suffered for much too long from official neglect and even contempt.
But we must never forget that just a year ago, we inherited a broken economy, a wounded country. The obsession to stay in power resulted in:-
*prorogation of parliament
*no 2015 budget when due
*slow down of public sector investment programme during 2014 and 2015.
We must never forget that just 12 months ago:-
*Guyana was a bottom of the human development index
*Guyana at bottom of corruption perception ladder
*Guyana was the suicide capital – “an unhappy country”
*Guyana was a crime haven and killing field as 40% of our youths were without jobs, and 30% of our people were below the poverty line.
We deplore the wanton crime wave. We are resolved to provide public security but we must also tackle the problems of poverty, joblessness and hopelessness.

New vision
Yes. We have our troubles. But we must have fresh hope. Like the phoenix, we can rise from the ashes. We can be great again. We can, if we work together.

Look around you: before, when the rains set up, we had floods. When the maker up there sneezed, we drown. But we didn’t to remain in water, in the deluge, in the floods.
Today, you didn’t have to hold your nose as you passed the corners.
What you saw today was done with the miracle hands of workers. And we are thankful to these workers who literally cleaned the clogged drains with their fingernails, and removed the slush even if they didn’t have long boots and gloves!
What you saw today, was the result of purposeful leadership and cooperation.
We are becoming clean again. Our garden city will blossom again. Our towns and villages will live again!

Imagine, with more wealth, what we could become?
When we become an oil and gas producing nation? This will bring bountiful promises but also Great challenges for our labour movement. Our unions …..petroleum engineers and environmental specialists….new intelligencia of the new economy…
Therefore, i place you on alert, that we must work together, to ensure that our sovereign wealth would benefit our future generations and secure a future for generations to come.

Our government has delivered on the fundamentals that would ensure progress. We held local elections, as promised. We are building partnership and open governance
Labour or social protection
For us, labour is much more than fighting for wages and salaries. We are concerned about the social protection of workers. The Ministry of Social Protection must not only be concerned with labour issues, but the all-round protection of our workers. It must look into housing for workers, environmental safety, sexual harassment at places of work, child labour, trafficking and prostitution of our women, gender equity and domestic violence and family planning.
The State must protect workers not only as workers but as citizens.
We rightly have a Ministry of Social Protection and I applaud Minister Lawrence for carrying the burden of ensuring that we have not only to deal with wages but the social problems of our working people. We need the general approach; we must not take the tree for the forest.
So, today, I can go on and on to answer all the issues raised. But I do not want to politicise these celebrations.
Again, I wish you well. Enjoy the rest of your day.
Long live the working class of Guyana and the world
Long live the Cooperative Republic of Guyana!

 

 

 

 

Do not follow De Rat

End Racism and Apartheid

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May 2015....a year ago

May Day Boos & Woos: While President Ramotar got boos from a scattered crowd at National Park today, Coalition leaders woo a large gathering of union officials ...and workers at Critchlow Labour College today, to vote APNU+AFC at the May 11 polls.


Moses Nagamootoo, a known working class defender, promised under a new government a partnership regime: state, business and labour. He said that whilst the coalition would give across the board wage increases, there would be respect for collective bargaining.


The Coalition's prime ministerial candidate said that subventions to the CLC would be fully restored, and efforts would be made to bring reconciliation within the labour movement.
He asked workers to make the final 10 days an occasion for the post-Jagan regime to tremble, by showing resolve to vote the regime out.

FM

Do not follow De Rat

End Racism and Labor Apartheid in Guyana

 

rat play  noun \ˈrat\

Simple Definition of rat

  • : a small animal that has a pointed nose and a long, thin tail

  • : a person who is not loyal or who cannot be trusted

  • : a person who is bad or cruel

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary
 
          We Must make up their mind..... whether .....

we wants to hunt with the cat .....or..... run with the rats!

 

De Rat is... De Devil, De Crook & De Scamp???? 

FM

I guess Uncle Moses forgot these workers in his speech.

Angry vendors protest outside President’s office

… businessman objects to vendors using land, locks gate
… say Royston King lied to them

 

 

Almost a dozen Police Officers took up combat positions at the Ministry of the Presidency’s Shiv Chanderpaul drive office on Tuesday, as they sought to ward off a group of angry vendors, who were relentless in their efforts to speak with President David Granger or someone close to him who could relay their plight.

Angry vendors expressing their frustration to Guyana Times

Angry vendors expressing their frustration to Guyana Times

A vendor speaking with the media

A vendor speaking with the media

The group of mostly women marched along Regent Street, after making several unsuccessful stops to get an idea of what really needed to be done to get their businesses back up and running. Their first stop at the office of Town Clerk Royston King yielded little or no result, since, up until the time of the protest, no positive word was forthcoming.
The vendors, some of whom have been in the business for decades, were removed from the outskirts of the Stabroek Market area, to facilitate a massive clean-up campaign. But the vendors, who were quite raucous, said they have been deceived by a system they trust. They casted blame on the Town Clerk, who they said, has no plans for them.
“They invited us to a meeting, but when the people come out of the meeting, they could not tell us anything. They said to give them three days to sort this out. But I just want to know, three days? How can they take three days. What will happen to us, we will have no job”, one vendor named Odessa told Guyana Times on Tuesday.
“How can they do this to us? Royston King deceived us. I am a cosmetologist and I have a three-year-old daughter. Most of the people out here have children to take care of. We don’t have anybody to brace us. We want to see the President… Those big ones have their lives already set out for them. It is us the small man, that have to try to make a life for ourselves… Mr Granger got four more years, four more years in there to do nonsense. If he wants to go back in there, he got to help us,” another young mother told this publication.
“Last year, time like this, we were protesting to get Carol Sooba out, for him to get in. But look is same thing, same thing. No difference. He tell us he got a place for us to sell, but I want to know where this place is. Up to now I aint see no place for us to sell,” another man said.
The vendors were reportedly told that they would be moved to an area South of Parliament Buildings. However, when Guyana Times showed up there on Tuesday, the gate was heavily padlocked. At the time the Town Clerk, accompanied by seniorPpolice ranks had come and peruse the area. He told this newspaper that the gates of the premises were always secured with padlocks. He said too that the Council was at the time preparing to clear up the area so that vendors could be able to access it.
In a release from the Town Council sometime later, it was noted that the area identified as the relocation for the vendors could be ready in a matter of days.
According to the release, the Town Clerk said the city has already spoken to the owner of the private land and everything stands “as per agreement.”
“We have secured permission from a private business owner to use the land for a specified period to relocate vendors who ply their trade,” King said. He noted that preparatory work is ongoing at the location, “and it is expected that in another few days, this location will be ready for the vendors to ply their trade.”
Around 10:00h on Tuesday morning, members of the Municipality’s City Constabulary also carried out a special exercise within the market area. The Town Clerk said this was “aimed at ridding the location of loiters and other individuals who have no business at the facility since they are often times impeding the way of citizens who come to do business.”
At least five trucks were filled with rubbish when the Engineer’s Department and Constabulary ranks oversaw the removal of waste in, between and around stalls located under the canopy, East of the market. The Town Clerk is adamant that the “Council’s administration is intensely focused on restoring the health and integrity of this historic structure and its immediate periphery; including the Stabroek Market Square.”
Outside of this, vendors are also asked to pick up their goods currently being held within the Council’s compound. The various bundles of commercial items that were stored along the roadway were picked up during the recent cleanup activities as these persons refused to pay a $200 fee for storage services being offered by a private citizen. The Council is returning the items which were safely placed in its compound, but reminds vendors that they are not allowed back on the streets. While the goods are being returned free of cost, the Council encourages the earliest removal of the items.
Meanwhile, Guyana Times understands that the owner of the land has not yet agreed to have vendors occupy the space until legal documentation is drawn up. According to reports, Hareshnarine Sugrim said the Town Clerk had asked him to “borrow” the land documentation from the Attorneys and the courts since according to him, “we don’t want when time meet and the three months up, they own the place… I gave him a verbal talking but I told him I need legal documents before anybody occupies the place,” Sugrim told an online news outfit. Late Tuesday evening when this newspaper visited the area city council workers were seen spreading sand at the location in the presence of King and City Constabulary officers.

 

 

alena06

The hypocrisy of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

Dear Editor,
I have said it numerous times that the APNU/AFC Administration should remember that they have not been elected to serve a lifetime in office. One year is about to pass and four will remain at which time the people will go to the polls again.
My question to PM Nagamootoo is this: what will he tell the people when he stands up at rallies begging for votes in 2020.During the course of campaigning before the May 2015 elections and even before that, Mr Nagamootoo tried to portray himself as a humble servant of the people.
He spoke of PPP politicians wanting to live a “Cadillac lifestyle in a donkey-cart economy”. He spoke of the “fat cat” salaries being received by various members of the PPP party when they were in Government.
Actually, I believe the PM was famous for coining these terms. It is repulsive that this same individual upon ascending the office of Prime Minister proceeded to demand that same Cadillac lifestyle and “fat cat” salary.
His first act in office as PM was to criticise the conditions of the PM’s residence. He was quoted as saying he would not let his dogs live there. He then demanded upgrades be done to the tune of millions of dollars before moving into the residence.
Be reminded, Editor, this is the same residence the former PM under the PPP was living in with his family. The man then proceeded to make proposals for an increase in salary which would bring his salary to an excess of one million dollars excluding benefits. As if that was not enough, he wanted a brand new $22 million Land Cruiser and upgrades done to the roads and bridge leading to his private residence.
The Land Cruiser was added to a fleet of more than 20 vehicles. When asked about it, he indicated that it will be used to reach out to the people who voted for him.
As I listened to his response I wondered if he had lost his mind. Never in my life have I seen such blatant hypocrisy and greed. Mr Nagamootoo has betrayed his supporters and the Guyanese people.
He went into office and did the same things he accused his PPP counterparts of doing.
Not only has the Prime Minister disgraced himself and his party and betrayed the Guyanese people but as Prime Minister, he has done nothing of substance and certainly nothing deserving of a salary increase.
It would be wise for the new Government and the Prime Minister to remember that it is the people of Guyana who will judge them come 2020 and when they open their mouths and speak of donkey-cart economies and fat salaries, the Guyanese people will be reminded of their hypocrisy.
I urge the Prime Minister to stop dwelling on material stuff, fat salaries and shiny houses and start doing some work or his time in office as a member of Government will be short.

Regards,
Tiana King-David

 

 

alena06
alena06 posted:

The hypocrisy of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

Dear Editor,
I have said it numerous times that the APNU/AFC Administration should remember that they have not been elected to serve a lifetime in office.

De only man who believe he will rule forever was Jagdeo.....and he got thrown out....

 

One year is about to pass and four will remain at which time the people will go to the polls again.

Keep counting......Do not mess up...


My question to PM Nagamootoo is this: what will he tell the people when he stands up at rallies begging for votes in 2020.

Excelent Question.... the new Govt have to keep doing more for the People of Guyana....and end Racism.

 

During the course of campaigning before the May 2015 elections and even before that, Mr Nagamootoo tried to portray himself as a humble servant of the people.

Oh that was easy for him to do....

 


He spoke of PPP politicians wanting to live a “Cadillac lifestyle in a donkey-cart economy”.

Mansions with 100 million Dollar Chandelier.

One of the Gifts from Ed Ahmad

in the Two 40 Foot Containers the US Govt Exposed.....

 

He spoke of the “fat cat” salaries being received by various members of the PPP party when they were in Government.

Like....Raj Singh, Ramotar Jr, Nokta Jr, Ramson Jr, Kwame, Lamumba, Hamilton.....and many others.

 


Actually, I believe the PM was famous for coining these terms. It is repulsive that this same individual upon ascending the office of Prime Minister proceeded to demand that same Cadillac lifestyle and “fat cat” salary.

Govt decided pay a decent salary and end thiefing

 

His first act in office as PM was to criticise the conditions of the PM’s residence. He was quoted as saying he would not let his dogs live there. He then demanded upgrades be done to the tune of millions of dollars before moving into the residence.

Dead Rats with worms, Rotten Post/Walls/Floor

 


Be reminded, Editor, this is the same residence the former PM under the PPP was living in with his family.

Sam and Kids with Cockroach & Bugs in De Sofa

 

 

The man then proceeded to make proposals for an increase in salary which would bring his salary to an excess of one million dollars excluding benefits. As if that was not enough, he wanted a brand new $22 million Land Cruiser and upgrades done to the roads and bridge leading to his private residence.

Moses visiting his Supporters every week

 


The Land Cruiser was added to a fleet of more than 20 vehicles. When asked about it, he indicated that it will be used to reach out to the people who voted for him.

Moses always visiting his Grass-root supporters

 


As I listened to his response I wondered if he had lost his mind. Never in my life have I seen such blatant hypocrisy and greed. Mr Nagamootoo has betrayed his supporters and the Guyanese people.

Cut out all de lies now.....


He went into office and did the same things he accused his PPP counterparts of doing.

Like What...Build Big Mansion,

 


Not only has the Prime Minister disgraced himself and his party and betrayed the Guyanese people but as Prime Minister, he has done nothing of substance and certainly nothing deserving of a salary increase.

Disgrace... Give Friends & Family Radio/TV/Land

 


It would be wise for the new Government and the Prime Minister to remember that it is the people of Guyana who will judge them come 2020 and when they open their mouths and speak of donkey-cart economies and fat salaries, the Guyanese people will be reminded of their hypocrisy.

PPP is a Minority....more licks in 2020....

 


I urge the Prime Minister to stop dwelling on material stuff, fat salaries and shiny houses and start doing some work or his time in office as a member of Government will be short

PPP thief too much..... no one trust them....

Regards,
Tiana King-David

 

FM
Last edited by Former Member

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