Sand truck operators should be treated as essential workers
Dear Editor,
We, the sand truck operators, who use the East Bank Demerara Corridor leading from the Linden / Soesdyke Highway, continue to be disturbed by the level of discrimination that is regularly confronted against us by the powers at our disposal. service to the construction. sector.
For five days a week, we are subjected to fierce and unashamed approaches taken by members of Guyana Police, as we struggle to make a living in this raging pandemic.
For hours every morning, we are forced to park our trucks and surrender to the other vehicles, thereby limiting our productivity and service to our clients and their contractors, who rely heavily on our services.
If sand truck operators are not allowed to operate freely, it will bring the entire construction sector into chaos. How do contractors work? How can the masons, carpenters, laborers provide for their families, who are already struggling in this pandemic?
While the government prides itself on building prosperity, the movement of sand trucks is limited. How can we achieve productivity in the construction sector when the most essential component of construction – sand – cannot be delivered in a timely and adequate way to our clients?
Many of us who wish to fulfill our obligations to our clients choose to leave the comfort of our homes to go to the pools at 3am, sometimes 1am, for loading. We are being stopped by ranks along the East Bank Demerara and threatened to be charged for violating COVID-19 regulations. We also leave during these early hours of the morning because it allows us to freely use the Demerara Harbor Bridge to maximize the number of trips we make.
We cannot operate in the slow hours and we also cannot operate during rush hours, so when should we act? We ask for the powers we have to be treated as essential workers, given the important service we provide to the construction sector and this country.
Truly,
Sand Truck Operators