More than 7,000 labour inspections have been conducted since 2020 by the Ministry of Labour. The inspections, Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton said, were to ensure workplaces were compliant with occupational health and safety laws and secure enforcement of legal provisions relating to conditions of work and protection of workers.
In his Labour Day message, Hamilton admonished workers to be vigilant and ensure their rights are not violated and ignored by employers. He encouraged workers to not compromise their health at workplaces and put their safety first.
“My ministry will continue to enforce the laws and regulations through inspections at the workplaces and continue to represent your cases,” Hamilton said.
Recognising the importance of trade unions and the role they play in the struggle for workers’ rights and equity, the minister underscored that his ministry will continue to partner with unions at all levels, “… to ensure that they remain a formidable and major stakeholder in ensuring workers’ rights are protected and contributing to economic growth through involvement in economic and social policy-making, collective bargaining and negotiations at all levels.”
Moreover, Hamilton stressed that the ministry was working with local and foreign companies to ensure compliance with the constitutional provision of “right to equal pay for equal work or work of equal value and to just conditions of work.”
He went on to urge workers of all classes to take advantage of the many opportunities that are presenting themselves through investment from the growing oil and gas sector.
“Importantly, this accelerated expansion and increase in economic activities have increased the demand for skilled workers,” he noted before urging “all workers of Guyana to take advantage of the many opportunities made available by the government to enhance their skill set by upskilling or take bold steps by reskilling.”
Hamilton indicated that the tripartite dedication of the government, employers and workers’ organisations was imperative to the prosperity for all the workers and “must be encouraged, promoted and sustained in order for us to realise our goals.
“The process of social dialogue is fundamental and at the core of good industrial relations, which is needed for achieving solutions, stability, and good economic outcomes.”
In this regard, he said, tackling labour and employment issues was critical for us to achieve the targets set out in the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Developments Goals (SDG) and for our economic and social progress.
