Free transportation for dismissed sugar workers’ children
The Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), Kim Williams-Stephen, is reluctant to write Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, on the wishes of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).
Regional Chairman David Armogan, addressing the RDC at its March statutory meeting, told the RDC that the REO did not send a letter as the RDC had instructed her to do one month ago.
The RDC had, during the February meeting, passed a motion for Government to
Region Six REO Kim Williams-Stephen and Regional Vice Chairman Dennis DeRoop
provide and finance transportation for the children of severed sugar workers in the Rose Hall Canje/East Bank Berbice areas, and in the areas from Crabwood Creek to Number 56 Village on the Corentyne.
Regional Vice Chairman Dennis DeRoop, in the motion, called for Government to provide funding to the RDC for this transportation. He noted that 1,141 sugar workers from Rose Hall, Canje Estate and 1,851 from Skeldon Estate were severed by GuySuCo and the Government of Guyana.
“The workers were unable to secure alternative employment, and no alternative employment was provided by the Government,” he told the RDC while adding that the sugar workers and their families have been severely and adversely affected.
He said the severed sugar workers have thousands of children attending school, and because of the unconscionable decision of GuySuCo and the Government, they are no longer able to send their children to school.
The RDC, he said, should be issued with funding to provide financing for the transportation of the affected children. All of the coalition councillors supported the motion.
And in a second motion put to the RDC, DeRoop called on Government to subsidize Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and Guyana Water Inc (GWI) bills for these severed sugar workers.
The motion noted that the severed sugar workers are facing tremendous hardships, are unable to provide for the needs of their families, and have been unable to pay their GPL and GWI bills. Also, because of the direct action of the Government and GuySuCo, the communities that the severed workers reside in have become depressed.
At the March month meeting, Armogan reported that no letter was sent to the Government, as the RDC had requested. “It is the REO, clerk of the council, whose duty it is to carry out the wishes of the RDC, and she has failed to do so. She has to do it, It is her job!” he told the RDC.
The REO was not present at that meeting. However, Armogan said he would be instructing the REO to carry out the wishes of the RDC.
