The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), General Secretary Lincoln Lewis, has criticized the government over the disbursement of the $100,000 cash grant, calling the process arbitrary and saying the figure should have been tripled.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Lewis stated, “It is clear that the government could have paid far more than $100,000.” He referenced President Irfaan Ali’s initial announcement of $200,000, which was later revised to $100,000, suggesting that this decision did not reflect the government’s financial capacity.
Lewis noted that the inclusion of overseas beneficiaries in the grant distribution highlighted the potential for significantly higher payouts to local citizens. He said, “If one were to add the additional payment to the overseas guidance with what was allocated to the local guidance, then the amount paid to the local guidance could potentially have been tripled.”
When asked about an amount that might seem sufficient President of the Trades Union Congress Norris Witter stated that such decisions should involve meaningful consultation, stating, “Not for the government to one morning wake up and say, I’m going to give you $10 for $20. There should be meaningful consultation.”
The GTUC also lambasted the government for disregarding constitutional provisions for collective bargaining in determining wage increases. Lewis said, “The level of increases for public sector workers and public servants should be determined through the process of collective bargaining, not for a government to arbitrarily determine that.” He further described the government’s late-year imposition of increases as an “interest-free loan” taken from workers.
Additionally, criticism was also directed at the parliamentary opposition for their lack of effective representation and engagement.
“The opposition must recognize their silence only serves to make a bad situation worse,” the organization stated, adding, “There is need for greater political militancy in this society.”
The GTUC called for the opposition to stand with the people and demand better governance, rather than merely making promises about what they would do in government. Lewis emphasized, “The role of the opposition is not only to make promises about what will happen should they enter government, but also to oppose true governance and stand with the people to demand better.”
