Norris Witter was elected unopposed as President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) at its November 8 to 10, 5th triennial congress at which the union reaffirmed its solidarity with all Guyanese on the Guyana/Venezuela border controversy. According to a press release from the GTUC, it is also seeking to establish an action plan for the next three years in a bid to assert labour’s role in society.
The other elected office bearers are: Vice Presidents Leroy Levans (Agriculture), Mehali McAlmont (Education), Alieshaw Barker (Mining and Quarrying), Kimberly Porter (Public Service and Local Government), Jerome Mars (Factories, Sawmilling, Manufacturing, and Construction); Principal Assistant Secretary Esyln Harris; Assistant Secretaries Collis Nicholson, Pancham Singh, and Sherwood Clarke; Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer Kim Halley and John Tull respectively; Committee Members Darren Wade, Dr Simpson DaSilva, Johnathan Looknauth, and Coretta McDonald; and Trustees Lelon Saul and Lance Baptiste.
The three-day delegates conference also addressed a number of issues which included a 15-point proposal, contained in the General Secretary’s report, that was adopted by the conference. This plan, the release noted, addressed the payment of cash transfers, erasure of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) deficit, and activation of NIS Unemployment Benefit with a view of paying unemployment benefits to persons who are terminated and seeking a new job.
The release said GTUC believes that this 15-point plan, which was elaborated on by the General Secretary in the 2023 May Day Address, when implemented, could impact the reduction of poverty in the country and the standard of living of citizens.
Several motions were unanimously passed demanding that the government as an employer and as a constitutional body respect the right to collective bargaining enshrined in Constitution of Guyana (Article 147) and ensure good faith negotiate between employer and trade union, as stipulated in the Trade Union Recognition Act, Sect 23 (1). It also wants the government to respect and the right to free education from nursery to university consistent with Article 27 of the Constitution of Guyana, the release said.
Guyana/ Venezuela Controversy
GTUC reiterated its long-held position that the 1899 Arbitral Award which is at the heart of the Guyana/Venezuela Controversy is valid. The conference reaffirmed the workers’ commitment to the protection and defence of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and mandated GTUC “to continue developing synergies and alliances in the workers’ quest to ensure all 83,000 square miles of territory and 53374.7624 square miles of exclusive economic zone remain Guyana’s,” the release said.
Also discussed, the release said, was the GTUC’s 1998 proposal to the Government of Guyana which addresses the defence of the country’s borders and includes the following:
“1. The establishment of “a fixed body” comprising specially trained and qualified foreign service officers and specialists in international law, languages, defence policy, hinterland development, and other relevant disciplines to continually monitor and make recommendations on the status of Guyana’s frontiers.
“2. Collaboration between the departments of government and international affairs at the University of Guyana and state institutions responsible for the formulation and execution of frontier policies.
“3. The development of modern and reliable communication links between frontier communities and the capital.
“4. Vocational training schemes for hinterland and frontier communities designed to equip residents for employment which may evolve from local or foreign investment.
“5. Sustained supervision of trans-frontier trade activities to ensure that these are conducted in a manner consistent with the national interest.
“6. The creation of a regime of special incentives to encourage local investment in hinterland communities and more particularly at frontier locations.
“7. The planning and execution of a sustained public information initiative to sensitise Guyanese residing in frontier to the territorial claims against Guyana.
“8. The formulation and execution of development plans designed to reduce the dependency on hinterland-based Guyanese on neighbouring states.
“9. The creation of a Youth Empowerment Scheme which creates incentives for young people to occupy the hinterland of Guyana with a view to the establishment of viable and sustainable hinterland communities.
“10. The cultivation of a culture of professionalism and excellence in the field of diplomacy in Guyana in order to properly refine Guyana’s most effective weapon in the defence of its territorial integrity- the diplomatic weapon.
“11. The rehabilitation of Guyana archives on frontier issues, particularly those documents which relate to Guyana’s territorial integrity.
“12. Official recognition of the role of Guyana’s mining community and other communities engaged in economic activities in the frontier regions in the defence of Guyana’s territorial integrity.
“13. The formal introduction into the schools’ curriculum of courses of studies on Guyana’s frontiers and including studies on the territorial claims against Guyana.
“14. Government support for economic activities, particularly agricultural pursuits, undertaken in the hinterland of Guyana.
“15. Practical support for efforts by the First Peoples to maintain their heritages in a sustainable manner.”
Governance-inclusionary democracy
The release said the conference also reaffirmed its commitment to work for a Guyana that leaves no Guyanese behind with a system of governance that values all Guyanese as equal participating members of society. To this end, delegates reaffirmed support for the nation’s political objective as outlined in Article 13 of the Constitution of Guyana, which expressly states: “The principal objective of the political system of the state is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens, and their organisation in the management and decision-making process of the state, with particular emphasis on those areas of decision making that directly affect their wellbeing.”
Also reaffirmed was the commitment to work with groups, government, political and non-governmental organisations, and individuals, to ensure the spirit and intent of this clause manifests itself in every form.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
The conference acknowledged that Goal 8 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals highlighted by the UN speaks specifically to “decent work” at the workplace. As such it commits the labour movement not only to participate but get involved towards the realisation of all 17 goals. It further mandated the GTUC to take this message to the communities where there is organised and unorganised labour, the release added.
