Large turn-out at May Day rally in New Amsterdam

May 02, 2014 News

By Leon Suseran

With loud chants for housing, higher salaries and better working conditions, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and Guyana Postal and Telecommunications Workers’ Union (GPTWU) marched along the streets of New Amsterdam into the compound of State House yesterday during the traditional May Day rally and parade.
Simultaneously, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) held a separate march and rally at Port Mourant, Corentyne.
Berbice Branch representative of GPSU, Ram Mangru lambasted the government’s poor treatment of workers, and reflected on the wastage of public funds as presented in the 2014 budget. He noted that for the past 20 years, the GPSU could not have gotten the government to “sit around the table to negotiate on wages and salaries.” He noted how the government has misled public servants and wiggled its way out of negotiations of wages and salaries.

The GTU contingent yesterday at State House during May Day observances in New Amsterdam.

“Since 2012 they have not laid the groundwork for negotiations to start! After 21 years in government, we have been having imposition and I am not sure that in 2014, that we would be able to have negotiation concluded with this government for wages and salaries, because I know for sure the GPSU will not sit around the table and bargain for five per cent.”
The GPSU, he added, will not accept anything less than a 45 per cent across-the-board increase in wages and salaries, much to the cheers and applause of the gathering.
A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Parliamentarian and Shadow Minister of Health, Dr. George Norton, in his remarks as Guest Speaker, noted the disunity of the labour movement in Guyana, and its not being what it used to be in the past.
“The labour movement in Guyana is divided—we have one group of people supporting one body and another group supporting another body; that is not in the best interest of workers.”
He urged that the reins be taken back and placed in the hands of the labour movement. “The labour movement has got to demonstrate that it has got a very important role to play not only in the life of the workers, but all the citizens of this country. You have got to go in the frontlines of the battlegrounds.”
The APNU partnership, he stated, “is a typical example of unity—the first time when 20 political parties have come together to work best for unity and we are still calling those on board to let us put our shoulders to the wheel and let us take a lead from the book of workers who came together to work for the benefit of all.”
He said APNU supports all workers. “What we have got to do is to take into consideration the political reality in Guyana today and that reality is that power lies in the hands of the opposition in the level of parliament.”
Samantha Alleyne, Treasurer of the GTU, brought greetings from her leaders as well and Eli Hazel, Chairman of the GPTWU, also brought greetings on behalf of his union members.