FITUG jabs Govt on unfulfilled campaign promises

The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has taken a jab at the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration for unfulfilled promises, saying its 14 months in office have done little for the electorate.

FITUG stressed that it was aware that “not all election campaign promises can be fulfilled soon after a new government assumes office”. However, it noted that months after the national and regional elections, the Government has not merely failed to honour the “nice-sounding promises they made, many of which are reflected in their Manifesto, but actually reneged on issues impacting on the cost of living and wages of workers”.

“The 2016 National Budget, one of the two presented to Parliament by the coalition Administration is incredulous. It envisaged increases for about 140 taxes; some hiked as much as 1200 per cent. The increased taxes nullify the modest wage raise given to workers. Pensioners have had their water and electricity subsidies withdrawn. Public servants and the nation’s teachers have waited and wilted as one of the ubiquitous ‘Commissions’ reflected upon what was already obvious. Delaying tactics, in the guise of merit increases and differentiated salary adjustments are having deleterious effects on the nation’s working servants who witnessed substantial up-front salary increases for a select few,” FITUG lamented in a release to the press on Tuesday. It went on to say that “sugar workers’ morale is at an all-time low. Besides the tragedy of retrenchment and redundancy at Wales, the new GuySuCo’s ‘plans’ and ‘strategies’ for ‘turnarounds’ and diversification are closely guarded secrets, it seems. Dialogue between sugar workers and their Unions with the Corporation is hardly taking place. Sugar workers have been bluntly refused any wage increases since 2015.”

Turning to City Hall, FITUG said the municipality is busy seeking to impose container taxes and parking meter fees, which will surely be to the detriment of the consumers who, undoubtedly, will be made to bear the burden of the passed-on fees and taxes.

“FITUG wonders how the pursuit of such a course will bring about President Granger’s ‘good life for all’. FITUG wishes to remind the coalition that freedom and lofty values can never triumph when pockets are empty and stomachs are hungry. This growing reality shows that the ‘Good Life’ remains a slogan and is possibly just a campaign delusion,” the release added.