President Bharrat Jagdeo has told workers in his May Day message that the challenges being faced today require new forms of solidarity which would not encourage confrontation and division.
“The challenges that we now face call for new forms of solidarity, not the type that encourages confrontation and division, not the type that pits workers against employers but rather innovative forms of cooperation in which labour, employers and the government work together to find solutions to ameliorate the effects of the global food and energy crises,” President Jagdeo asserted in his May Day message.
But against this background, he lamented that it was indeed unfortunate that yet another May Day has found the labour movement fragmented.
“This is unfortunate and I urge that greater efforts be made to ensure that the causes of the divisions are addressed since a strong labour movement is critical to defending the interests of the working class,” the President said.
Despite the lack of unity, however, he said he was hopeful that the labour movement will make a concerted effort to work together with all stakeholders in furthering the interests of the working class and work towards the development of Guyana.
The forte of workers has always been their resilience and especially their ability to surmount difficult circumstances, Jagdeo noted. He said further that the Guyanese working class has on many occasions in Guyana’s history confronted great adversity, and through their remarkable resourcefulness and their amazing capacity to be innovative, they defied the prophets of doom and overcame testing times.
According to the Head of State, May Day 2008 finds Guyanese in such times, like workers around the world who are confronted by global food and energy crisis that adversely impacts their cost of living.
However, Jagdeo expressed confidence that with the measures his government is implementing, and those which are currently evolving, in addition to the support and understanding of workers, the gains achieved by workers over the years would not be eroded, and in time the nation would emerge stronger after riding out this crisis.
The President also extended best wishes to all workers on the occasion of May Day, and to all the trade unions in the country.
