Dear Editor,
Through media reports, the public was made aware that three trade unions came together to file legal proceedings against the Attorney General of Guyana, in which they are seeking to quash the entirety of the Government’s vaccination programme.
These three unions: the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), and the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), have taken a stance against the Government’s vaccination policy wherein they are now trying to get rid of all the Government’s recommended guidelines and established protocols in relation to the opening of buildings, etc.
I write to you today because it is important for all Guyanese to understand what these court proceedings actually mean for the country in the context of COVID-19.
The proceedings filed by the GTU, GPSU, and GTUC seek to stop the Government from going forward with its vaccination programme. This basically means that the unions want the Government to stop vaccinating citizens.
Have these unions even considered what that would mean for the people of Guyana, and the level of death and disaster it can cause? I don’t think that they have given any consideration to such, because the reality is that, without the vaccines and the existing policy, hundreds of Guyanese would die every day.
In this regard, I am repulsed by the fact that these unions would file proceedings, knowing fully well the seriousness of COVID-19 and the need for countrywide vaccination.
It has been stated time and time again by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the only way out of this pandemic is for people to get vaccinated. The Government of Guyana has rolled out a robust vaccination programme, and has established a vaccination policy geared at protecting the lives of all citizens.
Against that backdrop, why would the GTU, GPSU, and GTUC want to steer away from that?
The actions of these three unions over the last couple of months in particular have proven that they are nothing more than fronts for the APNU/AFC coalition. They can argue that they are independent unions representing the people, but it is very clear where they stand.
In fact, the very lawyer Darren Wade, who filed the proceedings for the unions, was on the APNU/AFC’s list of candidates at the last election. This just proves yet again that these people are biased, and will do everything to attack the Government, even if it means gambling with the lives of Guyanese.
Sincerely,
Anson Paul
