| The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) is questioning the impartiality of the Major General (rtd) Joe Singh,Spencer Paysinger Dolphins Jersey, Chairman of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), amidst disagreements over an overhaul of that state agency.During the last few weeks, GPSU has expressed unhappiness over what it saw as interference of the newly-established Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment into the daily affairs of GGMC. It had also accused the Ministry of wanting to replace the current Commissioner, Karen Livan, who is due to proceed on retirement leave in a matter of months.Last week,Kiko Alonso Dolphins Jersey, the union said that Minister Robert Persaud’s “outburst” against Livan, at a recent interactive forum with Brazilian miners, was out of place and warranted an apology. It also caused her to lose credibility with her staffers, the union said.The Minister had publicly questioned Livan after revelations that she may have granted permission for a Brazilian to mine in government reserves. Last week,Denzel Perryman Chargers Jersey, the Ministry said that Persaud had apologized to Livan.BYPASSGGMC’s Commissioner, Karen Livan, and Chairman, Major General (rtd) Joe Singh.Yesterday, GPSU hosted another press conference insisting that the Chairman “with practiced regularity has bypassed the said Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the GGMC,Vinny Curry Eagles Jersey, Mrs. Karen Livan, and in preference instructs the Deputy Commissioners and other staff without her knowledge. Such instructions include matters involving specific routine management and operating procedures.”The Chairmanship of management meetings of the GGMC, that is the responsibility of the Commissioner,Brian Dawkins Eagles Jersey, has now been usurped by Minister Persaud, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment,Wilbert Montgomery Eagles Jersey, Joslyn McKenzie and Chairman Singh, GPSU’s Deborah Murphy said in a prepared statement.“Further, a series of releases to the press highlighting alleged wrongdoing or nonperformance by GGMC staff appears to have the full support of the Chairman Singh,Cameron Wake Dolphins Jersey, even though investigations were not conducted to authenticate the details released or due process observed. Such conduct appears to violate the code of conduct of members of the Board of Directors.”NO SUPPORTGPSU also accused Singh of showing no support for Livan at the Brazilian meeting following the “outburst” by the Minister.“More so, at the subsequent board meeting, Chairman Singh did not comment on or express any concern at the treatment of Mrs. Livan. Rather, the current mouthing,Philip Rivers Chargers Jersey, attributed to him in Kaieteur News, is clearly one that attempts to justify the Minister’s behaviour, by ignoring the wrongful act and instead patronizingly referring to non-existent support.”Also at the press conference yesterday were the union’s Second Vice President,Connor Barwin Eagles Jersey, Dawn Gardener; Education Officer, Vera Naughton and Dennis English, Senior Industrial Relations Officer.The union also made reference to the Workers’ Representative who as a board member was summoned to a meeting but was “embarrassingly ordered out of the meeting by the Minister, under the guise that the officer was not a duly elected Workers’ Representative.”This was another example of the Chairman’s “inaction and lack of support for key functionaries at the GGMC”, GPSU said.“The GPSU is therefore of the view that this pattern of behaviour is an attempt to discredit the management and staff of the Commission and to justify the imposition of selected persons, contrary to the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the GGMC and the GPSU.”Government has made it clear that it wants to revamp GGMC amidst growing interest in mining and the introduction of emerging oil and gas sectors. Guyana is drilling for oil now.There has reportedly been increasing lawlessness in the gold fields, with murder rates there on the rise. A recent ongoing operation netted illegal guns and the arrests of illegal miners. |
