Dear Editor,
The act by the government to establish a Ministry of Social Cohesion gives the impression this administration is prepared to advance universal charters, conventions and laws and put programmes in place to make meaningful this concept which strives for greater inclusiveness and more civic participation, and creates opportunities for upward mobility.
Social cohesion as seen by the United Nations “is the glue that holds society together.” Its analysis, seen through three values speaks to social inclusion, social capital, and social mobility.
Social inclusion is the degree to which all citizens can participate on equal footing in the economic, social and political life, including whether people are protected in times of need.
Outlined in the preamble to the Guyana constitution, Guyanese are called on to “Celebrate our cultural and racial diversity and strengthen our unity by eliminating any and every form of discrimination.” In recognition of these diverse strains that weave the fabric of the nation and make us who we are, the citizens/workers’ interests would be served when there is respect for and the strengthening of Article 13 (inclusionary democracy); Article 38 (duty of trade unions to develop economy); Article 147 (freedom of association and right to collective bargaining); Article 149 (protection from discrimination on the grounds of race, etc); and Article 149C (non-hindrance of the trade unions in the management and decision-making pro-cesses of the state).
Social inclusion requires that every group be afforded the opportunity to participate and be recognised as having an integral part in decision-making on matters which affect the interests of members of the group. As international institutions (eg, IDB, World Bank, UN) acknowledge the relevance of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Core Labour Standards in pursuing development, hence the importance of a specialised Ministry/Secretary of Labour observable in other developed and developing countries to effectively deal with, manage and address in a comprehensive manner, diverse issues relating to labour. The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) desires to see the same in Guyana.
The government’s position that social protection includes labour misses the strategic importance of labour not as a core component of social protection, but as the umbrella of the ILO’s four strategic objectives, namely: “promote and realise standards and fundamental principles and rights at work; create greater opportunities for women and men to decent employment and income; enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all; strengthen tripartism and social dialogue”.
Since Guyana is a member of the ILO family and given the nation’s decent work agenda programme which has been shaped by the influence of the ILO objectives, labour warrants separate focus and ministerial oversight. It is therefore expected that as this government settles in this is an area which would require urgent review.
Social capital pays attention to the trust between people and in institutions, and the sense of belonging to a society. The GTUC is convinced more can be done to realise this stated objective as we harness the potential of our resources. In its participation at the two-day Social Cohesion Conference (3rd-4th September), via President Leslie Gonsalves, GTUC submitted its labour platform for Guyana which addresses three areas of competency, viz, (1) Programme for an Economic Model of Sustainable Development, Decent jobs and full Employment; (2) Democracy and Governance with a gender perspective; and (3) Programme for Social and Labour Rights.
Social mobility looks at equality of opportunity to get ahead, and factors in migration, gender, a fair tax system, and data management.
As such, an examination of migration would give recognition that the issue while having a strong pull factor also has a strong push factor. The migration pull continues where people are not only going to join family but also seeking better opportunities. The exodus of university graduates and skilled professionals as a result of factors inclusive of poor wages, health services, education and a desire for personal developmental opportunities should also be under review. Mobility has to factor in mechanisms to harness this flow and make the country attractive so it can retain and return its human capital for development.
Gender which is defined by the United Nations as “the social attributes and opportunities associated with being male and female and the relationships between women and men and girls and boys, as well as the relations between women and those between men,” is a factor in mobility and social cohesion.
The political participation of women is seen as a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality. And given the statistics of women in education there should be no excuse for not finding women to fill major positions. Whereas the constitution requires the minimum of at least one-third women on the List of Representatives, such ought not to be a limiting factor for placement in the National Assembly and public office. Education is one of the pillars for mobility and girls are outperforming boys in all sectors, yet men exceed women in decision-making positions for which women are qualified. This demonstrates there is a policy deficit in ensuring gender equality.
The plight of males as noted in the decline in performance at examinations, and graduation from high school and university, is a trend that requires to be urgently addressed so our future productive male population will not fall by the wayside, and be denied opportunities for advancement.
With regard to the nation’s data management systems, enhancement and upgrading (digital upgrade) would make it easier for storage, retrieval and use for analytical purposes. It helps for the purposes of transparency to validate decisions made and to hold politicians, administrators, government and decision-makers accountable for decision-making premised on hard evidence. A census is also important in order to know the demographics so that myths can be debunked, propaganda and discrimination exposed, and proper national planning engaged in.
And with regard to taxation, we need to see the establishment of an effective and just tax system that will not allow the favoured/privileged few to escape their contributions toward this nation’s national development.
In summary, social cohesion undergirds universal principles that would weld the nation together, wherein the environment is established that every citizen is assured equal opportunity, participation and justice. As such national consultation is not a privilege; it is a requirement of democracy. And while the GTUC lauds the conference’s deliberation, it desires the benefit of this exercise not only to be seen in the consultative process but also in the form of implementation and continued engagement.
Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis
General Secretary
GTUC
