Poor leadership for Caroni (1975) sugar workers

THE EDITOR: The very poor leadership of sugar workers continues to be displayed as the restructuring process set in motion by the PNM Government gathers momentum. One expected some kind of aggressive and militant response from the All Trinidad Union and other unions in the sugar belt against the Government VSEP proposal and its plans for the future of Caroni (1975) Ltd, and the sugar industry.

This has taken place and continues but the feeble leadership is exposed when one is only witnessing one strategy. The leadership of the All Trinidad Union has miserably failed to put before the public alternatives to what the Caroni (1975) Ltd, and its shareholder, the Government, is offering to the workers. Instead, the leadership loses workers and public support and sympathy with its talk of bloodshed and threats to the security of Governm-ent ministers and by its disruptive behaviour.

Mr Rudranath Indar-singh, president of the All Trinidad Sugar Workers Union, was recently quoted as stating that “blood would be spilled over the VSEP issue and I cannot guarantee the safety of them (ministers) in Central Trinidad,” the same language used by Kelvin Ramnath and other UNC politicians. He had accused the Minister of Agriculture of “fooling” the workers at the meeting at the Capildeo Learning Resource Centre. Other than total opposition and rejection, the Union leadership continues to fail to put forward counter proposals to workers, superior proposals to what is being offered by Caroni (1975) Ltd. Already over 1500 workers have accepted the VSEP offer and my information is that workers are just waiting to sign closer to the April 3 deadline.

As difficult as it is, the majority of workers are in effect, rejecting the leadership of the All Trinidad Union and the position of the UNC politicians. It is they who have “fooled” the workers. It amounts to a betrayal of sugar workers. In Government the Panday government failed to restructure Caroni (1975) Ltd and the All Trinidad Union was especially docile during this period. The Union leaders live well off the union dues paid by hard working sugar workers. They work in air-conditioned offices, receive handsome salaries, drive cars provided by the union, or purchased with union loans. There is really no democracy in the union, and the small group jealously protects their “living”.

It was Mr Panday himself who had put these things in place when he was the leader. Mr Panday and the UNC even failed to acquire a party headquarters and still occupy the Reinzi Complex, one wants to suggest, shamelessly so. Is it not a case where Mr Panday believes he has proprietary rights over the Union. Even at this eleventh hour the union leadership has failed to produce even a pamphlet assessing the VSEP and putting forward its counter proposals and alternatives. Instead, its strategy is reactionary. Disrupting Minister Rahael’s meeting may make the news but does not assist workers’ cause. They did the same with Team Unity meeting in Balmain, Couva, last year instead of attempting to win support for its cause. This time around the workers are making up their minds on their own. They have bene fooled and betrayed for too long.

K P SINGH
Carapichaima