UNC takes issue with Newsday editorial

THE United National Congress has taken issue with Newsday’s editorial yesterday which raised questions about the Opposition’s approach to the Caroni restructuring plan.

The editorial commented on the UNC’s refusal of the PNM Government’s invitation to debate the VSEP programme in parliament this week and suggested that the UNC appeared to have no firm position on the issue. In an unsigned letter sent by fax to the Editor, the UNC denied that there was “confusion or flapping and floundering” in its position on the Government’s decision to offer VSEP to Caroni’s 10,000 workers. “We reiterate for your benefit,” the letter stated, “that the UNC has repeatedly called on the PNM Government to present a documented comprehensive plan for debate on the issue.” It said if the Government intended to send home 10,000 sugar workers and close down the factory and the cultivation section, this should be detailed in a plan that would show its social, sociological and psychological impact on the society.

The UNC said it was not backing out of its demand for a debate but was insisting that the onus was on the Government to present its plan in Parliament for a debate. “The PNM cannot ask us to debate this matter in a vacuum. This is what we signalled to the Government when we moved to have the matter debated as one of urgent public importance. We are ready to debate the Caroni issue once the Government puts it on the agenda,” said the letter. “We do have important things to say about Government’s plan for Caroni, but where is the plan?” The letter denied that the UNC ever had a plan to shut down the sugar industry. “We had no plan to retrench workers,” it said. “Our plan was to expand Caroni Ltd by inviting private sector participation. During our term of office not a single sugar worker lost his job. The PNM proposes to retrench 10,000 workers and get its hands on Caroni’s lands.” The letter concluded that the UNC’s struggle would never be violent, but would be based on non-violence and non-cooperation.