UNC under Panday failed Caroni workers

THE EDITOR: The position expressed by Mr Kelvin Ramnath is a most unfortunate one. Recently he said that he cannot guarantee the security of Government ministers when they visit Central and South Trinidad. This is nothing but a veiled threat to the security of ministers of Government.

One is reminded of a similar threat in the past issued by the late Morris Marshall to Mr Panday when he was leading a march from South Trinidad into Port-of-Spain and who was determined to pass through Laventille. It is also similar to that of calypsonian Cro Cro who, in response to Mr Panday’s civil disobedience march into Port-of-Spain, also threatened conflict. The fact is that the UNC under Mr Panday has failed the workers of Caroni (1975) Ltd. They have failed to restructure the company from its total dependence on the Treasury and after six years in Government, do not even have a clearly viable proposal to offer as an alternative, except vague generalisations.

When one considers that the political leader of the UNC headed the sugar workers’ union (1974 to 1995), and the UNC and its predecessor ULF, actually occupied and used the building and resources of the All Trinidad Union, this amounts to a betrayal of sugar workers. Out of Government the language of the UNC and its speakers has not changed. They still propose to sugar workers the need to “struggle” and there is cry of “racial discrimination”. And veiled threats of violence. Mr Panday is determined to “struggle” for sugar workers because they are his “constituents” as he declared in Gasparillo. What were they all the time, especially while he was in Government and Prime Minister? Mr Ramnath has to be fully aware of this. When he had a rift with Mr Panday in 1991 he exposed this strategy. In his first Balmain, Couva, meeting his supporters were waving a placard “Indians For Sale Check Out Panday”. He also exposed Panday’s talk of “struggle”.

This may be good Opposition language. But UNC formed the Government for six years. The question arises: What did they do? Mr Ramnath talked about possible use of lands by PNM to build houses for its supporters modelled on  the Pt Lisas NHA settlement where people who look like him did not receive housing. What did UNC in Government do to rectify this situation? Lands were distributed to construct a church but not given for business or housing in Couva North and South. Can Mr Ramnath or Mr Panday deny this? The workers in vast numbers are rejecting the UNC politicians by accepting the VSEP. It is for the PNM Government to be genuine and follow through with other proposals like land distribution for sugar and agriculture. One wants to suggest that the BC factory continue in operation rather than be dismantled, and this privately so.

VIR SINGH
Barrackpore