receives his cheque from Mark Benschop

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Maniram (centre) receives his cheque from Mark Benschop (left) and Freddie Kissoon (right)– Kissoon, Benschop make good on promiseKaieteur News columnist, Freddie Kissoon, and social activist, Mark Benschop, had publicly declared last month that they would be compensating a truck owner for the income he had lost.This was done recently when Maniram received the equivalent of four days’ income that he would have earned if his vehicle had not been impounded by the police.After the police shot Kelvin Fraser, the schoolboy from Patentia, the parents and villagers participated in a demonstration. Benschop, Kissoon, David Hinds of the WPA and Lincoln Lewis of the TUC lent support.The decision was to take the protest to Georgetown. According to Kissoon, “We just saw Maniram and chartered him to take the group to town, nobody knew him before. He accepted the job and dropped them off outside the Ministry of Home Affairs, the site of the protest.”Then the bizarre happened, Kissoon said. “He was hauled in, arrested, kept at Brickdam (Police Station), released on bail and went to court. Then police decided to keep his vehicle.” There were no explanations offered to lawyers or friends.Kissoon said that the only explanation for the vehicle being impounded was political. It was then that the commitment was made to compensate Maniram for the income he had lost.“What the state did was totally wrong, he was victimised, and we took the responsibility to give him back his income that he lost,” Kissoon said.The money was donated by a member of the Mark Benschop Foundation.Maniram who expressed appreciation for the gesture added that it was the first time in his life that he had been caught up in such a situation.Chief Justice Ian Chang had ordered the Canter truck released on June 15, however it was only after the intervention of Maniram’s attorney, social activist Mark Benschop and Columnist Freddie Kissoon, that the police finally decided to hand over the vehicle.*******************************Three charged with Pomeroon farmer’s murderPolice have charged the three who were initially apprehended for the murder of Pomeroon farmer, 54-year-old Wilfred Williams, aka Willo. Those charged are Trevor Abrams, Josephine Abrams and Franky.A fourth man, who was arrested at his home at Friendship Canal, one day after the killing, was released.Williams sustained wounds to his forehead and leg. His son, Sheldon, found his body in a canal about a mile away from a wedding house at Friendship Canal last Friday.Ivy Williams, the wife of the dead man, said that her son, Sheldon, told her that his father identified his killers before he succumbed to his injuries. Williams died before receiving medical attention.Mrs. Williams, who shared a union of 30 years with her now dead husband, said that they attended a wedding a mile away from their home.She recounted that at the wedding her husband was seen socialising with his friends. Mrs. Williams noted later in the evening, that her son-in –law, Dexter Benjamin, approached her and questioned about her husband’s whereabouts.She said she told him that she last saw her husband socialising with some friends and alerted their sons, Sheldon and Victor, to go in search of their father.She also related that on seeing the son a woman who was identified, warned Williams’s attackers that his son was coming. The trio then later fled the scene.The son took Williams out of the trench and transported him to the Charity Hospital where he was pronounced dead.At the scene of the killing police retrieved a blood stained T-shirt, a hat and a pair of slippers. A murder weapon was not recovered.*******************************Government set to launch its Annual Workers’ SurveyGovernment says that it is all set to conduct its sixth work survey which is crucial to policy-making.According to the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, the Annual Occupational Wages and Hours of Work Survey 2010 would begin on August 3.“The survey will cover questions on wages and hours of work of various occupations as well as employment costs component. Statistics on wages and hours of work comprise one of the main branches of labour statistics. They are essential in evaluating conditions of work,” the Ministry said in a statement yesterday.Among other things, wages data provide the groundwork for effective career planning and counseling and facilitates efficient allocation of educational resources and overall educational planning. Additionally, it provides data to potential investors and employers and to unions and workers for effective bargaining.Wages of employees vary according to the level of education, skill, occupation, type of industry, size of establishment, geographical location, among other variables.“In this survey, the reference month is July 2010. Information would be secured from wages and salary sheets of the establishment for the reference period.”According to the Ministry, the survey falls under guidelines of the ILO Convention which deals with labour statistics and the importance of countries ensuring that these types of statistics are regularly compiled.Also the Laws of Guyana require businesses to submit information on labour statistics to the Ministry of Labour.Yesterday, the Ministry stressed that confidentiality stipulations will be strictly adhered to ensuring that the report will not identify the individual businesses, but will highlight the various trends in industries.“The response rate from this survey is expected to be very high, which will allow for greater accuracy in the report.” So far, the Ministry has done six surveys.*******************************A container disasterThis container toppled after being detached from the truck beside JW Potter on Church Street yesterday. The base sank into the soil causing it to topple.