The Editor, Sir:

I, too, agree with Ian Boyne (March 1) that there needs to be a debate on the economic crisis which now engulfs us, threatening to inflict untold hardship on the working class.

I do not agree, however, that a simple debate between the People's National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party would serve much purpose, apart from the now-tired entertainment value. Both parties are wedded to the ideology of the market, which has only worked for some people in Jamaica, i.e. the rich.

And speaking of the rich, we now see that the private sector is busy organising itself to deal with the crisis, but not so, unfortunately, for the trade unions. They have been so bamboozled and taken in by the globalisation model, they have in effect become the Government and the private sector's poodle.

poodle mentality

An example of this poodle mentality is Lambert Brown's letter entitled 'Wanted: concrete anti-crisis plans.' Lambert is expecting "statesmanship" and "concrete policy implementation" from leaders whose only intention is to save capitalism by imposing more hardship on the backs of the poor.

What the unions should be doing instead, is developing an analysis of the crisis from a worker perspective, as well as a plan to defend the working class as a whole. Stop wallowing in the dead-end game of party politics!

With one voice, the working-class movement should be saying no to layoffs, especially by companies for which they have toiled and produced bumper profits.

If anything, this is the time for the business class to show its true patriotism and make the personal sacrifices that workers have always made. To refuse, as they will, (arguing that that is not how the market system works) is to make a case for transforming the existing social and property relations.

It is so unfortunate that trade union leaders like Brown have been so integrated into the capitalist state that unless a miracle happens, they are poised at this time of our greatest post-war economic crisis to commit the ultimate betrayal by encouraging the workers to roll over and play dead.

I am, etc.,

LLOYD D'AGUILAR

lgdaguilar@yahoo.com

Kingston 6