Calls mount for Yarde’s removal from the GPSU helm

…as legal action looms

The rift between executives of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and certain members of its branches continues to widen, and the latter party has, as a collective, indicated that legal action “will soon” be taken to challenge Patrick Yarde’s longstanding appointment as president of the union.

Yarde has been serving in that capacity for more than 30 years, having consistently been re-elected to that post; and some union members are of the view that he is illegally occupying that position, and is “holding a lease” to that position.

In fact, several of those members have staged a protest action earlier in the week, standing outside of the GPSU Head Office and calling on the incumbent president to step down. However, at a press conference held on Thursday, GPSU First Vice President, Mortimer Livan, told reporters that the actions of those persons were being instigated by a group comprising of a few “disgruntled and misguided” members.

At a press conference held on Friday, those members contended that that statement represents an attempt — organised by Yarde through the Vice President — to attack those who have protested against him, since focus was placed on character assassination rather than addressing the issues at hand.

The concerned members further pointed out that no one has refused to pay union dues, as is being alleged, but they merely object to the procedure being used to increase the dues and annual levy. They contend that until the Union’s accounts have been audited – an exercise last done to clear accounts up to 2003 — they will not pay the $300 increase.

In fact, Michelle Layne, employee of the Bureau of Statistics and branch member of the Union, told reporters that after being informed of the new fees more than two years ago, members wrote the GPSU President asking that he justifies the increase, but this has, to date, not been done.

“The members of the Bureau of Statistics’ branch feel that a move to increase dues could have either been tabled and voted on at the Bi-annual Delegates Conference held between September 30 and October 2, 2015, or at a General Council Meeting in December 2015. Instead, it was voted on at the level of the Executive Council in October 2015,” Layne explained.

She noted that a subsequent decision was taken by the Union’s General Council to suspend the increase in dues at the Bureau, thus threating them as associate members. Layne added that the Branch last year also received a letter from the then General Secretary of the GPSU, accusing the members of the Bureau of being “insensitive, inconsiderate and inconsiderable.”

Branch members of the Bureau had requested that copies of the audited accounts of the GPSU’s finances be made public, but Yarde had reportedly responded that they should go the Auditor General for the report, Ms Layne disclosed.

Intimidation

Front-runners of the protest against Yarde — Jermaine Hermanstyne and Karen Vansluytman – have denounced the GPSU President’s efforts to intimidate union members. Moreover, Hermanstyne thinks Yarde apparently feels threatened by anyone within the Union who is becoming popular with the membership base. He said “intimidation tactics” have been used against members who have protested against the GPSU Head. He highlighted an instance when the President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (TUC), General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), Coretta McDonald, had been victimised after she had publicly expressed that Yarde has served his time and maybe should be removed from office. According to Hermanstyne, the incumbent GPSU President had subsequently written the TUC and other agencies in efforts to “intimidate” McDonald.

Hermanstyne used this opportunity to address claims by the union’s Vice President that he was no longer a member of the union. He explained that when he went to pay his union dues, he was told that Yarde has instructed the Union’s accounts department not to collect any money from him.

He added that, without resigning in the first place, he was made to complete a new membership application form, which he did last year; but, to date, he has not received a response from the Union in regard to his membership.

Also labelled a non-member, Vansluytman explained that, having joined the GPSU in the 1980s, she had challenged Yarde for the leadership of the Union in 2005, but lost. However, the following year, when she turned up to pay her dues, it was refused based on instructions from Yarde.

Vansluytman insisted that, as a public servant, it is within her rights to take action against Yarde and the way the GPSU is being managed, since the actions of the union ultimately affect her.

She outlined that whenever the union has grievances with the Government, it would call on public servants to protest and strike; but now that those very public servants are taking a stance against the union, they are being disparaged and called unprofessional. She noted that Yarde has even written the agencies with which the members work, to complain about their “unprofessional and partial” behaviour.