The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) yesterday called for an independent Commission of Inquiry into Saturday night’s sinking of the MV Barima, contending that the tragedy demands accountability and raising concerns about the vessel’s condition, the safety of its crew and the emergency response.
In a statement issued yesterday, the GTUC extended condolences to the families of those who lost relatives in the disaster and said it stood in solidarity with survivors, the vessel’s crew, the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union (ATGWU), and all those affected.
“This tragedy demands more than sympathy. It demands accountability. Accidents do not simply happen. They are caused. They are the consequence of decisions made, warnings ignored, standards neglected, and responsibilities abandoned,” the umbrella body said.
The GTUC said it had deliberately waited before issuing a statement in order to monitor developments, engage workers, follow rescue and recovery efforts and assess information that had entered the public domain.
According to the union, information now available raises serious questions about the vessel’s condition, the safety of the crew’s working environment, the adequacy of regulatory oversight and the timeliness of the emergency response.
The union referred to reports that the vessel had been taking on water, that passengers and crew routinely had to bail water during voyages and that the engine had experienced recurring mechanical problems.
“If these reports are confirmed, then workers were being required to operate under conditions that no employer should tolerate and no worker should be expected to accept,” it said.
The GTUC argued that the crew, represented by the ATGWU, were entitled to a safe workplace, while passengers were entitled to safe and reliable transportation.
It also expressed concern over what it described as conflicting public accounts regarding the vessel’s distress call, saying questions remained over when the signal was transmitted, when authorities received it and how long it took for assistance to reach those aboard.
“Every minute matters when lives are at risk, and the nation deserves a complete and truthful account of the emergency response,” the statement said.
The union movement was also critical of Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, contending that his public statements had done little to inspire confidence and had instead contributed to confusion and distrust.
It said that, as the minister responsible for the sector, Edghill should step aside while an independent investigation is conducted, arguing that his continued involvement could deepen concerns about political interference.
Among its demands, the GTUC called for an independent Commission of Inquiry with powers to subpoena witnesses and documents; the immediate preservation of maintenance records, inspection reports, seaworthiness certificates, repair logs, voyage records, crew complaints and communications relating to the MV Barima; and a full accounting of the timeline from when the vessel encountered difficulties to the arrival of rescue assistance.
It also called for investigators to determine whether management, regulators or public officials ignored warnings or allowed the vessel to continue operating despite known deficiencies, protection for crew members and other workers who provide evidence, and immediate inspections and safety audits of all government-operated passenger vessels.
“The lives lost aboard the MV Barima must not become another statistic,” the TUC said, adding that the tragedy should mark a turning point in the protection of workers, the travelling public and the accountability of those responsible for the country’s transportation system.
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