Prime Minister Samuel Hinds told the 12th biennial delegates conference of NAACIE on Thursday that workers needed to be more dedicated to their jobs and in the process ensure that their rights are protected.
According to a Govern-ment Information Agency (GINA) press release, the two-day conference at the Umana Yana was hosted under the theme ‘Protecting workers rights and future within a hostile globalised environment.’ Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud who officially declared the forum open said, “NAACIE has consistently demonstrated its responsibility to workers which lends to its immense credibility as a trade union in Guyana.”
He said government will continue to pass legislation as needed and promote policies that protect the interests of workers and unions alike. The minister added that the government has already taken mitigating measures to cushion the rising cost of food, fuel and other items and the recent wage hike for certain categories of workers was evidence of this.
He added that other measures have been taken to further prevent the erosion of workers’ purchasing power and that the labour ministry will continue to consult with both the private and public sectors, to monitor this situation, especially for those workers who are vulnerable to exploitation.
“We ensure that all investors who come to these shores respect the rights of our workers since we shall not tolerate any unlawful abuse of our workers, for even as we invite foreign investment, we make it conditional on respecting the hard-earned rights of our people,” Persaud said.
