Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) General Secretary and veteran trade unionist, Lincoln Lewis is exhorting Guyanese workers to hold their government and political parties accountable and act in the workers’ best interests.
In his May Day 2021 address, the General Secretary spoke of workers’ rights and the importance of holding the government accountable. He expressed his displeasure at those politicians who seem to think that the people are their subjects and Guyana’s resources belongs to them to do as they please, depriving the masses in the process. He referenced Article 13 which deals with the fundamentals of an inclusive government and requires the government, opposition and relevant stakeholders working together for the good of the nation and citizens. It mandates, he said, the “establishment of an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens, and their organisation in the management and decision-making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas of decision-making that directly affect their well-being.” And as such “No government has the right to deny citizens anything that is prescribed by the Constitution.”
Lewis therefore urged workers to stand up and agitate to be a part of the decision-making processes in the management of this State “on matters that affect our rights, economic, social, cultural and political wellbeing. He further stated that other entities, internal or external cannot be counted on to effect any changes.
The General Secretary accused the oil & gas industry of treating Guyanese workers with “contempt” and opined that this has its genesis more than a decade ago in the Bauxite Company Guyana Incorporated (BCGI). He stated that RUSAL’s transgression of worker’s rights was “aided and abetted” by the PPP/C government. He blamed them for allowing foreigners “to make bauxite workers second class citizens in their own land. Now this lawlessness has spread to the oil sector.”
Lewis alleged that exploitation of Guyanese workers in the oil & gas sector is “rampant” with workers losing jobs when daring to question working conditions and not enjoying equal pay for equal work to their foreign counterparts. He pondered if such conditions were not “created and facilitated by a regime that could only talk about respecting workers’ rights but is not serious about enforcing laws and international conventions to protect the rights of all workers.”
And while acknowledging that the nation’s contract with ExxonMobil may have limitations as far as enabling changes to it, he contended that the current government should be doing more where workers’ protection and advancement are concerned. “So far, they have failed to work with the Opposition and trade unions to conceptualise and introduce laws, policies and programmes to secure the welfare of the workers of Guyana.”
He contended that when in opposition, the Irfaan Ali-government had condemned the Granger/ Nagamootoo administration for agreeing and signing a contract, considered to be lopsided by the citizenry. But today they opted not to revisit the very contract they once vilified, even though the main Opposition has given its public commitment in support of a renegotiation.
“They say they will renegotiate the oil contract and we must hold them to their words. If we fail to do this, then we are failing ourselves and becoming party to our own destruction. Our role is to hold all governments accountable, even the ones that we vote for. History has proven if you do not hold the government accountable some of those same governments will turn around and walk on you.”
The trade unionist also reminded of the PPP/C’s manifesto promise of the creation of 50,000 jobs in five years and referred to it as a move “out of the American political playbook.” He cautioned however, that unlike what transpires locally, the US politicians are held to account by a proactive media and civil society. “In that other society that Ali seeks to copy, it is not only about promises, you have to say how it will be done and politicians are taken to task. If he wants to act like an American politician then we have a duty to act like Americans and hold him accountable.”
Lewis reiterated the need to hold the current regime accountable explaining that it is vital to the creation of a safe and productive workforce. He urged workers to band together to resolve the decade-plus grievances in BCGI and spoke of the bauxite workers as being resolute in their confrontation with “a foreign force threatening Guyana sovereignty.” He also spoke of the workers in the public and teaching sectors who are demanding equal treatment in industrial resolution as is being offered to sugar workers. “Is it instructive that most labour disputes are between workers and the government as the employer? Something is seriously wrong when leaders elected by the people are turning on the people.”
The General Secretary also reminded that there are laws in place to protect every worker, “regardless of which sector he/she works, irrespective of his/her perceived political association or ethnic identity. What affects one worker affects all workers.” He declared that the TUC will not allow the rights of its members to be trampled on and urged Guyanese to insist that all governments respect workers’ rights and uphold the laws regardless of who they cast their vote for. Every PPP supporter, he added, has a right to hold this government to its promises and the Opposition must do likewise.
