The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has exhorted its members to unite to hold every politician, in and out of Government, accountable for any action or inaction that denies social justice to the workers of this country and unify regardless of the political season “for our true interest never changes when political power changes.”
According to the GTUC statement to this week’s Guyana Public Service Conference, the current atmosphere where many are in pursuit of political power through general and regional elections will see eligible citizens casting a ballot through a process that was made possible by the strength and determination of the trade union and the working people of this country. It added, “Ours is a legacy of leadership and progressive change.”
The union body spoke of the genesis of the trade union in Guyana and reminded that the trade union was the first mass-based organisation that emerged post-slavery and over the years has “conceptualised and developed programmes that impacted change and realised benefits that many today enjoy but yet take for granted.” It went on to say that post-colonial rule saw “workers enjoying better conditions of work and an atmosphere of support for working class advancement in a democratic environment of one man one vote, a right whose struggle to secure was initiated by the trade union movement and supported by others.”
However, the organisation lamented that as time evolved, the working class support has dissipated and an environment of denial, disregard and disrespect evolved with workers being seen not as an integral factor of production but as a mere force for exploitation by politicians, “who favour them in opposition and forget them when in government.”
The GTUC, therefore, issued a clarion call that “We of the Trades Union Movement must unite, in principle around trades union values and core beliefs. We must unite to hold every politician, in and out of Government accountable for any action or inaction that denies social justice to the workers of this country.”
It explained that at the heart of the trade union movement is the issue of collective bargaining, which “showcases the strength of our unions in negotiations for a living wage and better conditions of work.” This is best achieved in a democratic environment where the rights of the working class “are not only respected, but continuously advanced for the betterment of society.”
However, the union body made it clear that confrontation must not be the only or main weapon of trade union battles. “We must negotiate, we must lobby, we must elect those who best represent and serve the interest of the trade union movement. We must be friends of those who have our backs and improve our conditions of work, our family potential and that of our communities, those who accord us the dignity of first class citizenship in this country and who protect us from exploitation.” It warned that members of the trade union movement must unify regardless of the political season, “for our true interest never changes when political power changes.”
The union statement acknowledged that even as the nation is set to enter a significant era of wealth expansion through the exploitation of its oil and gas resources, it is even more imperative that the trade union movement unites to “protect what is ours; to protect the rights of the working class; the rights of all peoples of Guyana regardless of race, class, political persuasion or geographic location and very soon we will have to say regardless of country of origin.”
The union body soberingly observed that the challenges of these times as our political leaders fight over power and control of an oil and gas economy are many and even scary, “for we have a fair enough understanding of what each force represents, good, bad and indifferent for the working class,” in addition to having a good enough comparison of the mismanagement and other flaws and misbehaviours that negatively affect the citizens.
The GTUC emphasized that now is the time to seek refuge in the nation’s national motto, “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.” This it says is crucial to the sovereignty and protection of the Guyanese identity and culture as well as the “protection of all who are accepted as Guyanese, who call Guyana home and seek refuge within our national boundaries.” Guyanese were therefore reminded to “uphold our laws and strengthen them where necessary in protection of our national interest and the wellbeing of those who are among our most vulnerable.”
The statement concluded by acknowledging that “we of the working class knowing our vulnerabilities must rise above the fray, above our past and current hurts, pains and rejection and advocate for national unity regardless. For a nation divided cannot succeed. We must call for all politicians to give meaning to Article 13 of the Guyana Constitution.”
