PU&GWU fully supports review of ExxonMobil contract

Dear Editor,
The People’s United and General Workers Union (PU&GWU) sees the move by the APNU/AFC Government to review the 1999 ExxonMobil contract as an excellent and clever one, and the Government should be applauded and fully complimented for such a move, since the Government will have an opportunity to make new proposals that can modify, improve and remove any deficiency that the contract may contained. The contract was made between ExxonMobil and the former PPP/C Government since 1999 (over 17 years ago), we are now in the year 2016 and we have a new government which have the full right to review and make changes to any contract that was signed by the previous Administration and also from the time the contract was made to this year 2016, the price and other conditions surrounding the oil market have changed globally; for example, Venezuela has proven oil reserves in 2013 (297.6 billion barrels), total oil supply in 2012 (thousand barrels per day): 2489.2.
Venezuela surpassed Saudi Arabia last year to become the holder of the largest oil reserves in the world but yet still Venezuela is facing serious economic crisis, so having oil is one thing but managing it productively in a sustainable manner is another thing and the APNU/AFC Government needs to take these realities surrounding the oil market, including the Venezuela situation, into deep consideration during the review process of the1999 ExxonMobil contract, etc.
Editor, the PU&GWU without the shadow of a doubt is confident that the 1999 ExxonMobil contract needs to be reviewed and modified; hence, the Government needs to make a new draft and enter into negotiation with ExxonMobil so that the contract can be amended to accommodate and include: (a)the Government drafted proposal should provide for ExxonMobil to finance and establish a school in Guyana that will teach, train and equip Guyanese with certificates that will qualify them to be employed with ExxonMobil when the company goes into full operations, etc; (b)the Government draft should include the percentage of Guyanese that will be employed with the company as against how many expatriates will be employed, eg Guyanese should at all times be the higher percentage of employees to be employed with the company; (c) the Government draft should include a clause that provides for Guyanese to enjoy international payment rates, benefits, working conditions and safety standards, etc; and (d) the Government draft should include all international requirements that an oil rig company have to meet to conduct its operations in the oil industry, etc.
Editor, when ExxonMobil goes into full operation and production, most of the oil produced by the company may have to be shipped to overseas markets; as such, the APNU/AFC Government without any hesitation should swiftly move in the direction to establish a deepwater harbour at Berbice River, which is an essential point of transit for incoming people and goods. Primarily, deepwater harbours are fundamental to the movement of exports and imports from and to a country.
In the Caribbean, the Port of Bridgetown in Barbados has immensely increased trade activities on the island and drastically boosted the tourism sector.
Barbados’ deepwater harbour now acts as a homeport for many of the Britain­based cruise ship lines operating in the Caribbean Region, directly impacting the tourism sector and ultimately the economy, owing to the revenue generated from tourists who are almost always willing to spend.
The deepwater harbour will not just benefit the ExxonMobil Company to transship its oil, but it will also improve the maritime sector in Guyana and boost business in the shipping sector, generate revenue for the country’s economy, create jobs for Guyanese and strengthen, improve and qualify Guyana’s port to meet international safety and security standards, etc.
The Social Protection Ministry’s Labour Department and Guyana’s maritime sector needs to be equipped with safety officers who are exports that have the full knowledge and qualifications as it relates to safety on oil rigs so they can highlight breaches of any safety rules or laws which can endanger the life of workers, etc.
In closing, the People’s United and General Workers Union wishes to state that if the APNU/AFC Government does not manage Guyana’s resources properly and also if it does not sign good contracts with foreign companies operating in Guyana, such as ExxonMobil, Guyana can end up in a crisis and Guyana will continue to remain a Third World country, etc.

Yours truly,
Micah Williams
General Secretary
The People’s United
and General Workers
Union