Unity among unions to be emphasised on May Day - Duncan

Unity among unions to be emphasised on May Day – Duncan

Apr 25, 2009 News

There is need for unions to forge a sense of unity if the rights of the working class population are to be adequately represented, said General Secretary of the Guyana Labour Union, Carvil Duncan, yesterday.
Duncan is optimistic that harmony would be effectively highlighted come next Friday (May 1) when Labour Day will be observed.
He lamented the fact that not nearly enough is being done at the moment to promote measures to better the lives of workers.
“I am extremely disappointed in what the Trade Union Congress has done or rather, has failed to do, for the benefit of the workers of this country,” Duncan categorically noted.
“We have a crisis on hand. It was caused through no fault of the workers. And instead of the trade union movement galvanising its support and consolidating its efforts to protect the workers during this period, it finds itself involved in petty criticism and character assassination.”
And even as the mandated focus of some unions dwindles, the General Secretary pointed to the fact that workers have been losing their jobs; employers have failed to increase salaries thus several workers are finding it increasingly tough to survive.
“If never before, the unity of the trade union movement is of extreme importance so that we can speak with one voice and speak for the working class and provide the guidance that is necessary so that there can be some cushion to this crisis that we are confronted with.”
“We can’t fool ourselves…this crisis will not end tomorrow nor the day after. It is not the case where you can easily say that there is light in the tunnel; the tunnel is still very dark.”
Duncan speculated that a lot of planning will be required to formulate appropriate strategies that could be put into action not only for the benefit of the workers but to ensure that the trade union movement can survive.
According to the General Secretary, with the current unemployment rate, unions are undoubtedly losing their membership base.
“If unions are not doing anything, the workers themselves who remain will draw their own conclusion that the trade union is no longer relevant. So the time we spend criticizing each other, we ought to spend it working and planning together for the benefit of the workers.”
And several unions, Duncan insisted, have already “gone underground” as a result of the current situation even as he hinted that there are others poised for a ‘disappearing act’.
“It is not a question of whether you like it or not it is a reality. You have to face it and I am saying that on May Day if trade unions are clever enough they can benefit from the current crisis.”
He said, though, that the only way that unions can overcome the challenge they face is by changing their whole philosophy to one, which allows them to concentrate on working in partnership and not conflict. “This is not a period for conflict but partnership and cooperation,” Duncan asserted.
He noted that several unions have misrepresented the current situation rendering it a problem for the government and the private sector, a development the General Secretary regarded as unfair even as he pointed out that
“We are all in this boat together.”
“We have to sit down as workers, unions, government and private sector and work out a solution for the future of all…” Duncan added.

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Unity among unions to be emphasised on May Day – Duncan

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