GPSU says Jagdeo misrepresented union’s concerns

GPSU says Jagdeo misrepresented union’s concerns
Stabroek News news item. Friday May 16, 2008
http://www.stabroeknews.com/?p=14408

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) says President Bharrat Jagdeo has misrepresented its concerns for fair treatment of its members in the ongoing Customs probe, calling his comments “misdirected and ill-conceived.”
The union’s head Patrick Yarde was yesterday addressing members of the media, five days after the president had dismissed the union’s claim that the probe lacked credibility.
Last Friday at a press conference Yarde said he felt the investigation into alleged corruption at the Guyana Revenue Authority was progressing with a bias towards certain employees and that statements about it being transparent and free of GRA involvement were misleading.
The GPSU leader, reading from a prepared statement yesterday, said that they are both surprised and alarmed at Jagdeo’s subsequent interpretations and conclusions about what was said at the press conference.
He said that it is even more alarming since the president by way of letter was informed prior to his press conference of the union’s desire to have “an urgent meeting to discuss the union’s concerns in the matter with a view to ensuring that its members are fairly treated and not subjected to any form of intimidation.”
The original copy of the letter was addressed to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, GRA, Clyde Roopchand.
Yarde told the media that at no time in the letter or at any forum did the union challenge the need for an inquiry into corrupt practices at the GRA or anywhere else in the public service.
As was clearly stated in the president’s copy, he added, the union would not condone corrupt practices in the public service and supports all efforts to eradicate and penalize those found guilty of such conduct.
“The President’s attack on the union in this matter is malicious, misdirected and ill-conceived and in the nature of rationalization of disregard for procedures of fairness, generally regarded as minimum standards in civilized societies,” Yarde declared.
He said further that such disrespect for proper procedures is not surprising as this is demonstrated in the inquiries into allegations of torture. According to Yarde there seems to be no urgency on the part of Jagdeo and his advisors to put this torture matter to rest and ensure that those found guilty are sanctioned and punished according to the laws of Guyana and international treaty obligations.
Yarde also called on the president to publicly explain why there should be a problem with an inquiry that allows for fair and equal treatment for persons who are being investigated as part of the customs probe.
Yarde during last week Friday’s press conference said that his union was fully aware of who are among the initial players and that the task force was in no position to speak of transparency and credibility because its record so far indicated “only an attack on staff that performs lower level duties.”
He called for the abandonment of the current process and the appointment of a credible and independent team. He added that he had no confidence in the “so-called” investigation and that he was concerned about the posture of the GRA and its treatment of staff as the probe progressed.
Yarde said the union had drawn its conclusions from the GRA’s failure to respond to certain queries; reports it received from GRA staff, and the GRA’s refusal to permit the union to support staff currently being grilled about their involvement in the alleged fraud.
“GPSU members were held by the police in unhealthy conditions, photographed and fingerprinted as if they were common criminals when they accompanied GRA staff for the interviews being conducted. We will not take this lightly and will press the issue until it is addressed,” Yarde stated.
He said too the union is not happy about the GRA’s arbitrary dismissal of employees, including those with long years of service.
Since the president initiated the investigation just over a month ago the GRA has dismissed five staff members but sources have observed that only the lower tier employees were being fired. Jagdeo said recently that his administration was seeking help from agencies in the US with regard to the investigation.
Then at a press conference the following day Jagdeo told reporters that the auditor general is charged by the constitution to investigate financial issues and he has the power to report directly to the National Assembly and the Public Accounts Committee headed by the opposition.
The president said too that once corruption is exposed the necessary action should be taken. He accused the union leader of trying to protect corrupt people and stated that he was not taking Yarde seriously. He urged the union to cooperate with the investigators.