Thursday, August 11, 2022
Village Voice News
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • For Your Attention
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Mark’s Take
    • Future Notes
    • Children & Youth
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Jacobs On Agriculture
    • Book Review 
    • My Turn Guyana
    • The Herbal Section
    • ECHO
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • For Your Attention
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Mark’s Take
    • Future Notes
    • Children & Youth
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Jacobs On Agriculture
    • Book Review 
    • My Turn Guyana
    • The Herbal Section
    • ECHO
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
Village Voice News
No Result
View All Result
Home News

GTUC condemns handcuffing of education officers

Staff Reporter by Staff Reporter
August 24, 2021
in News
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Support Village Voice News With a Donation of Your Choice.

— calls on society to condemn new low in lawlessness and tyranny

The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has condemned in the strongest possible term the action by Irfaan Ali administration on Tuesday to have police handcuffed Ministry of Education (Georgetown) workers and escort them out of their place of work on the ground that they have not provided evidence of taking the COVID-19 vaccine or proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

READ ALSO

Guyana gets 52,800 more COVID-19 vaccines for children

Symposium on Guyana’s Oil in New York on Saturday

“This is a new low in lawlessness and tyranny, and the local, regional and international communities are being called on to take note and denounce this inhumane and unnecessary conduct by the police,” the statement read.
The ministry in a statement gave a different version of events as reported by the affected workers.

“There is no need to criminalise workers for any act not considered criminal. Concerned citizens are left to ask- What next? Would workers be imprisoned or shot at for failing to comply with directives that are not without questions.  The affected workers are represented by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU). GTUC stands in readiness to support the Union in any action necessary to bring resolution to this grave travesty and safeguard the workers’ rights,” the umbrella trade union said.

Advertisement

The GTUC said Guyana is sliding down a slippery slope where those in authority to protect citizens/workers are using the apparatus of the state to attack and criminalise them. “If this is not stopped forthwith, the new low could lead to further confrontation and possible retaliation. The GTUC also notes that only some sections of the society are being targeted and criminalised. It is not lost on citizens that nowhere in Guyana is there a 100 percent vaccination in government workplaces. The GTUC is of the unreserved opinion that the tantum macoute tactic that continues to hound and target some sections of workers will have consequences for all, either in building or antagonising relations amongst and between various groups in society.”

The government, the GTUC said continues to ignore the calls by trade unions, political opposition and members of civil society to take an inclusionary approach in the management of the COVID-19 programme. “They are continuing in a highhanded manner not only forcing citizens to take a vaccine (Sputnik V) not approved by the World Health Organisation but showing open contempt for science, laws and technical advice. This is madness.”

The GTUC said it recognises the high-level vaccine hesitancy in society and charged that the administration’s approaches are not intended to engender confidence, allay fears and hesitancy, but rather reinforce perceptions that it will be their way or no other way. “There also seems to be no regard for persons’ rights, the Chief Medical Officer’s counsel, and the “duty” of the employer under Section 47 (3) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Cap 99:10) to provide free testing for the employee.”

The GTUC said the national medical surveillance programme the nation is under has been instituted and is being directed by the government, not the citizens/workers. And if a negative test is a requirement to be in the workplace for fear of the transmissible nature of the virus in the workplace, then the employer, not the worker, must shoulder the responsibility of “cost” according to the extant law. “No Memorandum or Gazetted Order that disregards fundamental principles and laws could be considered acceptable. Good sense must prevail.”



Support Village Voice News With a Donation of Your Choice



ShareTweetSendShareSend

Related Posts

News

Guyana gets 52,800 more COVID-19 vaccines for children

by Staff Writer
August 10, 2022

(DPI) Guyana has received another 52,800 Pfizer injections to further accelerate its efforts to inoculate all of the nation’s children...

Read more
News

Symposium on Guyana’s Oil in New York on Saturday

by Staff Writer
August 10, 2022

Guyanese, in the diaspora and home, will on Saturday, August 13, hold a symposium on Oil in Guyana, in what...

Read more
News

Opposition in call for clean Voters List accuses Gov’t of being lone dissenter

by Staff Writer
August 10, 2022

The Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) has accused the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) of...

Read more
Next Post

Men caught with blank Covid vaccination books

POPULAR NEWS

No Content Available

EDITOR'S PICK

Fish vendor dies after car slams into her 

September 19, 2020
RFHL President and CEO Nigel Baptiste

Republic Financial Holdings agrees to UN Principles for Responsive Banking

October 15, 2020

Six COVID-19 deaths in one week

February 12, 2021
Missing Joel Skeete

UG student goes missing 

April 4, 2021

© 2021 Village Voice | Developed by Ink Creative Agency

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Editorial
  • Letters
  • Global
  • Columns
    • Eye On Guyana
    • For Your Attention
    • Hindsight
    • Lincoln Lewis Speaks
    • In the village
    • Mind Your Business
    • Mark’s Take
    • Future Notes
    • Children & Youth
    • Bad & Bold
    • The Voice of Labour
    • Politics 101 with Dr. David Hinds
    • Talking Dollars & Making Sense
    • Jacobs On Agriculture
    • Book Review 
    • My Turn Guyana
    • The Herbal Section
    • ECHO
  • Education & Technology
  • E-Paper
  • Contact Us

© 2021 Village Voice | Developed by Ink Creative Agency