Dear Editor,
The announced intention of the cessation of operations by Oldendorff was indeed saddening, and provides a stark reminder of how a situation between two countries could affect us. It must be seen as a wake-up call for our people to recognise the interconnected world we live in.
I was indeed happy to see that, within hours of the Oldendorff announcement, the Ministers of Natural Resources and Members of Parliament from Region #10 engaging the company on the way forward. The press also reported that a ministerial team will meet with the workers of Oldendorff and Rusal in the coming days.
For me, it’s pleasing to recognise that Administration’s swift and prompt response to the situation in bauxite.
While the Government moves with great alacrity on the bauxite matter, a similar enthusiastic attitude has evaded it when it comes to the sugar workers, whom the Government, I might add, laid off. The rationale for this may be interesting. If the Government’s different treatment of the sugar workers was politically influenced, then this is nothing more than patent discrimination. At the end of the day, whether they be sugar workers, bauxite workers, or whatever other workers, they are Guyanese, and the Government is there not to serve the interests of its supporters only, but is obligated to serve the interest of all Guyanese, irrespective of their political, ethnic, religious or whatever persuasion there may be.
Yours faithfully,
Liebert Alleyne
