As the local labour movement celebrated 100 years of formal existence the President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has called on its leaders to examine their personal motivations and ensure that they are truly willing and able to advocate for the entire workforce.
GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis in turn has called on government to “do right by the workers” and create through policies and programmes an environment for harmony and consultation rather than confrontation.
“We must never take our workers for granted. There is no place for it…too many times we allow personal gains and personality clashes to cloud our vision. We must hold our leaders accountable for the manner in which our unions are led astray. We want leaders who are ready to serve…if you cannot take the heat get out of the kitchen, if you can’t be accountable just stand aside,” GTUC President Coretta McDonald who is also General Secretary of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) told those gathered at the National Park for the annual May Day rally.
The rally which saw 17 unions from both the GTUC and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) taking to the streets was celebrated under the theme “A long journey to Social Justice- together we can achieve”. In the last few years the GTUC and FITUG have held joint rallies after a long period of separate events.
Seepaul Narine, Treasurer of FITUG took government to task for layoffs in the sugar sector arguing that entire communities are being made to suffer due to high levels of unemployment.
Narine also reiterated the call for a Labour Ministry and criticized the APNU+AFC coalition for failing to attend the Annual Conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) during their three years in office.
Lewis also called on government to demonstrate their commitment to the labour sector by ensuring attendance at this year’s conference being held in Geneva next month and urged Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally to advocate at the level of Cabinet for a Ministry of Labour.
For the last three years the Labour movement has called on government to elevate the Department of Labour to a ministry. At last year’s rally a request was made for a motion to be laid in the National Assembly asking for a Ministry however the resulting motion brought by Opposition Parliamentarian Gillian Burton-Persaud was defeated 33-25 with Ally arguing that it was “baseless” since the functions were being adequately performed by the department.
Lewis seemed to admonish the Minister for this stance wagging his finger at her as he declared the absence of the Ministry “an area of potential conflict.”
“It is the workers who turn the engine of government and this country, and it is important that this vital resource be properly represented by a Ministry of Labour. How can we have a Ministry of Business representing the business community and ignore a Ministry of Labour and be committed to development? Think about it- are the people of Guyana not important enough, deserving enough,” he questioned.
The veteran trade unionist added that Labour doesn’t want to operate in an environment of conflict with any government.
“We send a message to Minister Ally, her government and all politicians that labour does not have to operate in environment of conflict. We remind them that they have a responsibility as the premier power in government, through policies and programmes to create the environment for harmony and consultation not confrontation but for this to be achieved government has got to do right by the workers. We have got to operate in an environment of mutual respect and trust for these are important to social justice,” Lewis explained.
“Everything should not be a partisan battle in Guyana, wearing our people down, where there is nothing that we can find common ground on and see the need to work together,” he stressed.
Lewis went on to note that the trade union movement has a vision for Guyana that would see better working relations between and among social partners, providing a climate for cooperation and unity of purpose which is necessary for social justice.
“Our society has to move away from efforts to exclude and engage in more efforts to include. There is a role and enough space for everyone, for we can all contribute in various ways to make a Guyana where all can live, participate and enjoy,” he concluded.
While for the most part the seven presentations were delivered with a rousing passion they were delivered to a lacklustre audience whose members steadily vacated the park. By the time Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams stood to once again declare that his government was not responsible for the state of the sugar sector his voice echoed off the empty seats which were occupied by a handful of workers.
