Press Statement: Guyana Bauxite And General Workers Union (GB&GWU)

Submitted by the Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union

GB&GWU President Charles Sampson

This morning the GB&GWU met with the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) at Watooka House, Linden in connection with its complaint filed on January 4, 2010. The ERC four-man team was led by ERC Chairman Juan Edghill and the Union’s team by General President Charles Sampson. The GB&GWU in its Preliminary Presentation reiterated its desire to have a public inquiry into the charges of discrimination and expects the ERC to facilitate the process with the urgency it deserves.

The Union has received a response to its letter (January 4, 2010) from the Trade Union Recognition & Certification Board and is scheduled to attend a meeting on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 11:00 am in the Boardroom of the Ministry of Labour, 82 Brickdam. This meeting is expected to address the issues of the Collective Labour Agreement and the coercion of workers by the company to sign its prepared petition to seek de-recognition of the Union.

The Union is yet to hear from the Ministry of Labour in as much as a letter was hand delivered to the office of the Chief Labour Officer, Yoganand Persaud, on Wednesday December 31, 2009 seeking his Ministry’s involvement in having the more than two-month old dispute resolved.

A letter by dismissed workers of Aroaima is dispatched to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds seeking his intervention in having the workers’ rights respected and justice prevail

The GB&GWU remains committed to ensuring the respect for the rule of law, workers’ rights and the Collective Labour Agreement and will not relent until justice is served!

Charles Sampson

General President

GB&GWU.

See Presentation to the ERC and letter to the Prime Minister below.

The Future Fourth Estate?

Senior Law Lecturer Jeff Cumberbatch - article reproduced from the Barbados Advocate - 04 October 2009

Over the past two weeks, this space has been concerned with exploring the phenomenon of local blogging and the susceptibility of contributors to actions for defamation. This is a developing area, and while it is currently accepted that the blogs enjoy no immunity from defamation and are unlikely ever to do so; yet there are some issues that remain in need of clarification if bloggers, blogmasters and those offended by published material are to understand clearly their rights and responsibilities in this regard.

This may assume even more significance in future, if current trends should hold true. In an article published on Monday last in Newsweek online, Daniel Lyons urges the authorities in the US not to bail out struggling newspapers under the contemplated Newspaper Revitalisation Act, but to let them die and get out of the way. He argues; “Nobody in their right mind believes the future of the news business involves paper and ink rather than pixels on a screen…” and he likens the proposed statute to “…introducing legislation to save horse-drawn carriages, or steam engines, or black-and-white TV. It’s stupid. It’s pointless. It won’t work.”

Bard’s Village Aquaponics Association Points To Aquaponics As The Way Forward To Food Security

Submitted by Ready Done

All rights reserved

Imagine your plate without rice, macaroni or English potato. How long could you survive in a crisis situation? We import 93% of the staples we consume daily. Luckily there is about two months foreign reserves to buy food, good news for the supermarket owners. When there is a hurricane threat we all know how fast those reserves will dwindle.

Unless you can produce your own food you will get uncomfortable really fast.

Sixty years ago we were a food secure nation, the culture allowed for this because time and land were available therefore the average person could grow their own food. Currently full time employment and urbanization has made conventional backyard farming uneconomical, on a larger scale it is possible to profit from farming but the uncertainty of a market to sell produce, the high cost of labour and agro-chemicals, combined with the lack of any technological advances make local farming for profit difficult.

Barbados Blog Accused Of Defamation

BU highlighted the plight of an 80 year old Canadian man on October 18, 2008 who alleged that he had been swindled by an offshore company based in Barbados. The Barbados based offshore company Bridge Management (Barbados) Incorporated reportedly received several million dollars from many Canadians who now seem to be fighting a losing battle to redeem investments. Some frustrated investors in Bridge Management Barbados Inc have since used the BU blog to exchange information and extend moral support during this time of great anguish.

In keeping with our promise to be transparent in how we operate, BU has taken the decision to apprise the BU family of an unfolding situation. Yesterday (4 January 2010) we received an email threatening legal action if we did not withdraw certain information from the blog referred to above. We have sought a legal position and BU’s position is our blog did not defame the person purporting to be Frank Mastrocola.  However, out of an abundance of caution we have taken certain actions which are outlined in the document attached.

We ask the BU family to continue to be responsible when posting comments and continue to use BU as a vehicle for freedom of expression.

Are There "Ever" Circumstances When Racial Or Religious Profiling Can Be Justified?

Submitted by Yardbroom

Image-NewBlackMan Blog

“Racial profiling is the inclusion of  racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime or an illegal act or to behave in a “predictable” manner” – Wikipedia

The recent landing of an American commercial airliner at Detroit Airport in America and the subsequent arrest of a Muslim man, a 23 year old Nigerian national, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and an “allegation” made that he had explosives sewn into his underpants, has caused governments on both sides of the Atlantic and farther afield, to re-examine airport security arrangements.

Governments in Europe and America are at the vanguard in considering full-body scanners which display an image of traveller’s naked form on a screen for airport staff to scrutinise.  Apart from the indignity, embarrassment, religious and cultural issues involved the question of human rights have yet to be addressed.

Complaint To The Ethnic Relations Commission Made By The Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union

Press Release – Submitted by the Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union, January 4, 2010

GB&GWU President Charles Sampson

The GB&GWU has today after much deliberation and the public statements, responses and non-responses of the Minister of Labour, Mr. Manzoor Nadir; Chief Labour Officer, Mr. Yoganand Persaud and BCGI General Manager, Mr. Sergey Kostyuk, has formally dispatched the following correspondences :

1) A complaint to the Ethnic Relations Commission to commence a public inquiry into charges of discrimination against BCGI’s employees and the GB&GWU on the grounds of race and political geography;

2) The Trade Union Recognition & Certification Board on BCGI’s action in soliciting workers to sign a company prepared petition requesting the Board to call a Poll under Section 31 of the Trade Union Recognition Act, Chapter 98:07, the Minister’s comments in Stabroek News on January 2, 2010, and BCGI’s failure to meet with the Union to have the impasse resolved;

3) To the Russian Ambassador bringing to the Russian Government attention BCGI’s Russian management violations of workers’ rights and the Laws of Guyana, and seeking its involvement in reigning in Rusal to honour and respect International labour laws and ILO covenants as well as the Laws and people of Guyana.

The GB&GWU is committed to the upholding of rights, honouring of laws and justice on behalf of its membership and shall continue to pursue these principles vigorously.

Please see Letters and ERC complaint attached.

Charles Sampson

General President

GB&GWU.

We Are What We Eat, Antibiotics And All

Thanks to BU family member Bentley for the source material

A common response to a sickness today is to feed the body with some form of antibiotic. Back in the old days people were expected to fight off what ailed them with healthy bodies and the immunity therein. In the unlikely event the sickness overwhelmed them, they would resort to natural or herbal remedies, commonly referred to as bush remedies.

According to recent research, the prevalent use of antibiotics in agriculture and livestock  is gaining attention from the White House. The frequent feeding of livestock with antibiotics has seen rise to animals which have become drug-resistant. The problem is escalated when the drug-resistant infections are passed on to humans.

A telling feedback from the researchers:

It’s The Hospitality Of The People That Makes Our Small Island So Special

Submitted by Minister of Tourism Richard Sealy to the British Telegraph – 29 Dec 2009

When someone says “Barbados”, people traditionally think of palm trees, white sand, turquoise water and perhaps someone relaxing in a deckchair wearing a straw hat. Yes, we do have the gift of some very beautiful beaches here but Barbados is so much more than just a tropical island.

There’s a lot going on in a country that’s just 166 square miles in size. Not only is there the landscape to explore from caves to gardens, the natural beauty of the Welchman Hall Gully and our rugged east coast but you can have an activity- filled holiday here, too.

There are diverse culinary experiences to be had, you can go horse riding, learn to surf, watch a major cricket match, go for a hike… all of which can bring you into contact with what, in my view, is still our strongest asset: our people.

They are what make us unique as a holiday destination. Tourists go to Egypt to see the pyramids; to Kenya to see the Masai Mara; to Orlando for Disneyworld. But in every visitor survey we ever run, the answer to “What do you like best about Barbados?” is always: “The Barbadians so warm and hospitable.”

American Airlines In The News

Thanks to GoWEB Caribbean for sending the images.

Recently we witnessed the spectacular but scary pictures of an American Airlines flight broken into pieces like a child would a stick of macaroni. According to other news American Airlines has suffered two other mishaps although not as serious as AA Flight 311.

Should would be passengers be concerned? AA is a major carrier in the Caribbean for inbound and outbound traffic.

BBC’s World Have Your Say Asks: Is Marriage A Step Too Far For Gay Rights?

Link/Image - New York Times

The issue of declining morals in our societies is one which BU remains very concerned.  We have recorded our view in previous blogs; the issue of homosexuality is one of a moral flavour and not the rights issue in which the gay movement has been able to escalate this issue. The recent same sex marriage which occurred in Latin America and  the arrest of a gay couple in Malawi has given renewed currency to the gay debate. There is no doubt the movement is beginning to probe the  Caribbean space in a more aggressive manner. Our hoppa-long leaders will have to declare a position soon. The next two years will make for interesting politics in the Caribbean region.

Tomorrow at 2PM Bajan time, the BBC World Service will broadcast its popular program World Have Your Say. A BU blog, A Step Too Far Or Fairness And Equality: Same Sex Partner’s Legal Rights posted by family member Yardbroom has been featured on the BBC blog which promotes tomorrow’s radio show. Unfortunately BU (David) had to decline the BBC invitation to be on the show tomorrow; a challenge which BU will have to overcome at some point.

The gay debate has reached an interesting point in the US and the UK especially. There is a willingness to accept gay relationships but hesitancy when taking the normal next step to marriage. This current state of affairs is being described as duplicitous to say the least.

For those who are not able to listen live we hope to post a link to the Podcast to the program for the BU family.

Happy New Year Everyone!