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.”