In a New Year’s message he also acknowledged that the labour movement has failed to galvanise broad-based support to reverse violations of the rights of workers.
Yarde lamented the state of working conditions in various sectors across the country. He said the problems are “inherent in an undesirable culture” to which the government subscribes in its relationship with its employees and representative unions. He charged that the administration has set a pattern which has encouraged other employers to emulate its behaviour.
“…it is therefore not accidental that employees and their unions in other sectors in Guyana, even those who by any measure cannot be described as among the opponents or non-sympathizers of the government, are also victims of similar treatment”, he noted.
Speaking on the climate that persists, the GPSU President referred to what he described as the arbitrary imposition of salary increases and other benefits and conditions and in the process repudiating legally binding collective bargaining agreements; failure to bargain in good faith with recognized unions in violation of the law pertaining to such practices; attempts to ignore recognized unions and have them de-recognized while at the same time encouraging members of recognized unions to cancel membership among other issues. Yarde noted that such things are all within the unions’ experience and in danger of becoming common practice in the country “as is currently manifested in the bauxite industry”.
He commented further saying that such practices and actions are in violation of the constitution and laws of Guyana, and of the core ILO Conventions which the government is under obligation to observe and respect. He charged that workers have instead been systematically deprived of elements designed for their protection.
“We are well aware and appreciative that over time there has been significant recognition and support from major sections of the public against the undermining effects of such violations of the rights of workers, and their detrimental effects on the public interest. Nonetheless, we have failed to galvanize broad-based ongoing support to reverse these trends”, Yarde said in the message. He noted that as a consequence, these practices and behaviour patterns have now blossomed into glaring civil and human rights abuses. He said too the situation is compounded by relevant institutions being dysfunctional and thus rendering the ability to secure justice ineffective.
He said also that the failure of aid donors and international organizations in their dealings with states that violate the rights of workers to recognize and treat such as unacceptable, as well as apply corrective action such as insisting on certain codes of conduct and conditionalities, adds to the problem.
Additionally, he said workers must be prepared to dedicate themselves to acquire a proper understanding of the issues that confront them -their origins and nature – and the means of addressing and resolving them.
“It is imperative that all of us set aside the fears that serve to fragment us, and strive for the fulfillment of good governance, a sine qua non to achieve national harmony, broad based development, a fairer society with prospects of prosperity for all”, Yarde added.
