The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) yesterday commended the Alliance For Change for taking on board labour’s interests but advised the party to postpone any proposed attempt to negotiate public sector wages and salaries with President Donald Ramotar until it has had a proper engagement with the respective trade unions/workers representatives.
The GTUC in a press statement from General Secretary Lincoln Lewis also noted that the AFC’s proposed wages and salaries talks with President Ramotar violate labour laws and international conventions.
A letter outlining the GTUC’s concern was earlier dispatched by the General Secretary to the AFC and copied to the unions in the public sector, the statement added.
The GTUC also referred to a report in yesterday’s Stabroek News which said that the AFC has initiated a meeting today with the president, and among the topics to be discussed are Public Sector Wages and Salaries.
The GTUC said that particular note was taken of the statement: “We also want to see an increase (in wages) and we are asking for 20 percent increase. If it does not happen and we get an 8 or 10, fine, we will work along with that. We would want to see a rationale of why it can’t go higher.”
And while the GTUC said it commended the AFC for taking on board labour’s interests, it wished to record serious concern for its modus operandi in achieving these objectives outside of the realm of discussions, negotiations and agreement with the GTUC and /or the public sector represented unions.
“We would want to acknowledge that the actions of the AFC may be driven by a strong desire to see wages and salaries increase and workers empowered economically given its 2011 elections manifesto and therefore cautions the AFC, that whereas their intent may be commendable their proposed actions are in conflict with Articles 13 and 149 of the Constitution, Section 23 of the Trade Union Recognition Act, and ILO Conventions 87 and 98,” the GTUC statement read.
The trade union umbrella body said further that the
AFC must also be aware that “its actions may also be interpreted as being supportive of poor governance, breach of industrial practices, and giving President Ramotar encouragement to micromanage by ignoring the respective ministerial portfolios.”
Importantly, the GTUC added, such actions also leave no room to appeal to the presidential office if and when the need arises.
However, the GTUC noted, labour would welcome support from any quarter and as a political party, the AFC is welcomed to support the struggles of the labour movement for a living wage.
The concerns of GTUC, the statement highlighted, “are grounded in the usurpation of roles by the AFC, government, or any other political party to determine or advance these positions outside of the framework of international conventions, universal laws and the Guyana Constitution which clearly state that wages and salaries negotiation fall within the purview of Collective Bargaining between the employer and the workers’ representative, in other words the trade unions.”
Disregarding this right to self-determination by trade unions is tantamount to violating fundamental rights, undermining the labour movement and continuing the spate of lawlessness which Guyana is still reeling from, and which we expect the AFC to seek to change, if we are to ensure accountability, peaceful co-existence and national development, the GTUC declared.
The body further contended that while it recognized the need for increases in public sector salaries and wages, it was not prepared to have any organization, group or individual regardless of their common interest, usurp the authority of unions and undermine labour’s role in representing workers.
“We expect the AFC would not join forces with President Ramotar to transgress workers’ rights, undermine ministerial portfolios, and violate our laws whether knowingly or unknowingly,” the statement said.
