Workers’ interest dear to Gov’t – President tells GAWU’s 20th Congress

Aug 27, 2012 News

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The Twentieth Delegates’ Congress of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU), opened on Saturday at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, amidst praises for the union that has been struggling for the rights of workers and also defending the interests of other Guyanese. The congress is being held under the theme ‘Promoting Workers Interests to Advance Economic and Social Development’.

Saturday’s opening session saw a massive turnout from its members, and it also attracted the presence of representatives from regional and international unions from the United States of America, Grenada and Jamaica, along with members of the Diplomatic Corps.
The session also saw 22 members being honoured for their outstanding and long lived contributions to the union, as workers.
President Donald Ramotar, after paying compliments to the stalwarts of the Union said that a great deal of his social and political activities was linked with GAWU’s struggles.
“I was one of the participants looking out for your interests, on old year’s day 1975 together with your President (Komal Chand) in Wales Estate at that time,” the Head of State said.
He added that without a doubt, from GAWU’s inception in the 1940s it has been the foremost union in defence of workers’ interests and people’s rights.
“In 1948 this union participated in some of Labour’s more valiant struggles…very often it does not only defend the rights of its members but also the rights of the people of our country as a whole…this is natural since GAWU always had the most class conscious leaders in this country,” the Head of State said.
He explained that this union has a rich history as during the period of colonialism, its many members played a leading role in the fight for freedom, and later during the period of undemocratic rule, it was at the forefront in the epic struggles for democracy.
“The need to allow workers the right to have a union of their choice was first raised by this union, then known as the Guyana Industrial Workers Union in the1940s… that struggle lasted for 50 years before that was eventually secured… it remained the most important piece of labour legislations that promoted industrial democracy in this country,” the Head of State said.
He charged the Union to be cognisant of the facts that today at the international level, the working class is confronting many serious issues that are impacting negatively on it.
In Guyana, he said, the possibilities of threatening of the workers’ movement and also the real dangers of it weakening even further have been revealed, therefore the need to work to protect and promote workers’ cause.
“At the national level the PPPC government from its inception, took the philosophical position that the most important factor for development is the people…we have invested appreciatively in our people… this can be seen by any examination of our budget and how resources are allocated,” the Head of State said.
He explained that more than 30% of the country’s budget is allocated to the social sector in the areas of education, health, housing and water, to which the working people are the biggest beneficiaries.
The Head of State added that many working class families have been freed from the oppression of landlords and are bringing up their children in the security of their own homes. This kind of development and investment in the lives of its citizens, government cannot put a value to.
“The social benefit that springs from such a feeling of security is difficult to assess… life expectancy too in Guyana is rising as a direct result of investments in education and health and with the fact that the economy is doing well… growth is averaging some 5% per annum,” the Head of State said.
Whilst all of this is happening, the President believes that on the other hand, the working class in Guyana is being affected by the lack of unity that exists in the movement as a whole, and as long as the division exists¸ the union’s movement is in danger of weakening as the strength of the workers rests in their numbers and in the unity of the working class.
“It is therefore important that we identify the cause of the division and try to deal with it…in my view the most important issue is that a part of the labour movement is out of sync with what is happening in the rest of the society,” the Head of State said.
GAWU’s President Komal Chand said that the union has come a long way to attain its 20th congress, and they can proudly claim that they have positively impacted the sugar industry and with that, the economic life of the country.
“Our theme captures the objective that congress delegates and workers seek to accomplish through their deliberations,” Chand said.
He added that the many development initiatives that government has embarked on, demonstrate that the country is on a progressive development path.
Carvil Duncan, President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FITUG) said that the current congress is not a reflection of 20 years but, if calculated properly could be a celebration of over 40 years of successes.
He added that GAWU is one amongst others which is one of the best and greatest unions in this country.
“GAWU has succeeded over the years in safeguarding itself against the infiltration of forces which would have seen its detriment…GAWU realises the importance of its members as they have an important role to play in the nation,” Duncan said.
He added that the union has decided that education is important as it will assist in transforming the union, as such, they have hosted training courses that will impart on its members the knowledge needed to expand the situation that obtains for further development. (GINA)

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