Labour Minister belabouring issue as labouring labourers labour in vain

On Monday, January 23 last, citizens were greeted with the appalling news, by none other than Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton, of the Government’s plan to dissolve cooperative societies that they pronounced, have erred in cultivating the land for a protracted period.

Such a revelation has created a furore and is deemed a direct assault on Africans’ cultural heritage and a concerted effort by the governing cabal to further emasculate members of those societies that predominantly comprise African descendants. Ever since the abolition of slavery, African Guyanese have effectively engaged in the co-op mechanism to improve their socioeconomic statuses. Therefore, the government would be hard-pressed to justify such a draconian move amidst its ‘One Guyana’ mantra.

The period immediately after the abolition of slavery in the British Empire coincided with the exponential growth of cooperatives in pre-independence Guyana. The acquisition, development, and sustenance of villages by the manumitted Africans were greatly influenced by cooperatives. The colony, comprising former slaves, pooled their resources and bought lands that were put into productive use or held in abeyance for future development. Undoubtedly, this feat would have contributed in great part to Guyana’s first executive President, L F S Burnham, officially dubbing our beloved country a Cooperative Republic, an emblem long discarded by other myopic leaders.

It is apt to note the ubiquitous nature of formal cooperative societies and by the 1970s almost every African Guyanese community had vibrant burial societies, consumer co-ops, agricultural co-ops, and land co-ops among others. Unfortunately, the economic downturn of the 80s had debilitating effects on the cooperative movement in general. Further, membership in many cooperatives diminished due to death, migration, and limited effort to attract new members.

To date, the assets of many cooperatives are lying dormant in banks and across many communities. Rather than dissolving these entities, it may be prudent to convert these assets into viable use where interested parties can resuscitate their vibrancy through the Cooperative Societies Act, Chapter 88:01. Africans, who benefit immensely from these initiatives can ill afford to squander the ingenuity and legacy of our forebears and must commit themselves to resuscitate these societies with a pronounced focus on land societies.

The issue of land tenure is contentious and sensitive and if handled improperly, may lead to social and political instability. Moreover, government officials should take note that land tenure security encapsulates the protection of occupants from forced eviction. Government should also demand that the principle of rule of law is observed. Notably, land tenure security can be viewed as the degree of confidence individuals and groups enjoy in maintaining access to, use of, and control over land.

To dispossess cooperative societies of lands is tantamount to impoverishing their members and families. Even a surreptitious glance at the land distribution data will clearly reveal that over the past twenty-five years, African Guyanese have not benefited significantly from the allocation of lands for agricultural, industrial, mining, and other purposes. Land plays a significant role in sustainable economic growth and therefore a caring government will ensure land tenure security and property rights are highly rated and fairly distributed.

Land rights ought not to be treated trivially since land is a major factor of production and this resource is finite. Moreover, despite vast lands across these 83,000 square miles, the cost factor is beyond the reach of the small man. Land tenure gives the proprietor the right to beneficially use his property in accordance with the approved terms and conditions. This right enables landowners to improve their socioeconomic conditions since they can also use their properties as security in the acquisition of finance for business ventures.

May I reiterate; the act of dispossessing cooperatives of land is ominous and designed to further emasculate and deny a section of the Guyanese population adequate resources to ameliorate their communities.

The issue of poor performance of cooperatives is nothing new since history is replete with failed ventures. Nevertheless, conscientious groups, recognising the viability of such initiatives, continue to launch new co-ops with high levels of enthusiasm and undaunted spirit. Yes, the fate of extant co-ops is likely to mirror the capacity building, technical support, and retention of members among others.

The cooperative mechanism has proven to be a useful tool in the empowerment of communities across Guyana. Those co-ops that experience challenging situations and circumstances should not be dispossessed of their lands. Rather, those groups should receive support from the government and be encouraged to conform to the regulations governing their operations. The planned action by the Ali administration is highly suspicious and does not augur well for political and social stability.