The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) expects the re-instituted Ministry of Labour to adopt the declarations and conventions of the United Nations (UN) and International Labour Organisations (ILO), and uphold the Constitution and Laws of Guyana in the best interests of the Guyanese workers.
The GTUC stated in a release yesterday that it had met with new Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton and congratulated him on his appointment. The Congress welcomed the re-establishment of a labour ministry and stated that it looked forward to a good, meaningful, and productive working relationship with the Minister. “Now that we have a return of a ministry it is therefore our expectation that the ministry will continue in accordance with the established norms.”
According to the GTUC, these “established norms” include embracing the declarations and conventions of the UN and ILO, and equally upholding the Constitution and Laws of Guyana “without fear, favour or ill will, so that the Guyanese labour force (past, present and potential) can be best served.” It posited that it is a “proven fact” that labour functions best in such an environment and at this juncture of Guyana’s development it is essential to have a cohesive and productive work force, channeling its energies towards the development the nation.
The declarations and conventions referred to by the Congress were specifically listed as: the UN Declaration of Human Rights, specifically Article 23, which pertains to employment, pay, and union protection; the ILO Conventions Nos. 87 and 98 which speaks to the right to organise; the Guyana Constitution, Articles 13, 38, 147, and 149C, which also deals with workers’ rights; and the Trade Union Recognition Act, Cap 98:07 which deals with union recognition.
In addition to the abovementioned, the GTUC also highlighted several issues that it says it has been advocating for over the years. These were: the creation of an industrial tribunal/court to address issues in the public and private sectors; the restoration of Agency Shop across the public sector, a job creation plan; and the establishment of the Arbitration Panel to bring resolution to the impasse between the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated and Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union. The TUC also pressed the Minister for the Trade Union Recognition Act to be revisited and that the determination of recognition be consistent with ILO’s recommendations.
These issues, the TUC stated, “are the very heart of labour and industrial relations”.
