“Rights are only defended when people stand up; otherwise, they remain on the paper” – Forde tells Public Servants

May 03, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News – Labour Day 2024 was observed on the heels of what many have called a ‘landmark ruling’ by High Court Judge, Sandil Kissoon, in relation to a month-long strike that teachers had initiated calling for better wages, conditions and a return of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CLA) process.

Justice Kissoon had ruled in favour of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), that its strike was legal and as such, prohibited the government from acting on its decision to deduct the salaries of teachers who participated in the month-long strike in February.

Addressing the May Day Rally on Wednesday–a holiday set aside to celebrate the contributions of workers–organised by the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), along with the GTU, Senior Counsel (SC) Roysdale Forde, was adamant the battle was not over. To this end, he was adamant, “that rights are only defended when people stand up; otherwise, they remain on the paper waiting to be brought alive.”

According to the aspiring leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) and Shadow Attorney General (AG) in the National Assembly, who also served as one of the lead attorneys on behalf of the teachers, said in spite of the ruling, “you must not rest on your laurels, this is an ongoing battle.”

Referencing the promised appeal to the decision by Substantive AG and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C. Forde told those in attendance, “I want you to understand that the victory in the court will continue, the battle will continue, we’ll go all the way to the CCJ (Caribbean Court of Justice), but you must not rest on your laurels, this is an ongoing battle you must play and be an active part in it.”

He further pressed public servants, specifically teachers present at the rally, saying, “I have told the President of the GTU, I have told the GTU people, take your people on the streets, take your people on the streets.”

Forde S.C, further qualified his call by saying, “I will be presumptuous to say the Leader of the Opposition (Aubrey Norton) is supporting, and he has said it publicly, that he is supporting the labour movement, and as such, “you got to be ready, (and) this is a battle, it’s never going to stop, keep going forward, it’s never going to stop.”

The Senior Counsel prefaced his fiery remarks to the May Day Rally held at Critchlow Labour College (CLC) compound, by pointing to Justice Kissoon’s ruling, which he described as “landmark” and “serious progress in vindicating our rights and standing up for our rights.”

To this end, he was adamant, “I want you to remember, as a lawyer, as a citizen, as a Guyanese, that rights are only defended when people stand up; otherwise, they remain on the paper waiting to be brought alive.”

To this end, he used the occasion to congratulate the “the leadership of GTU and GTUC in defending not just labour rights, but in defending all the Guyanese people.” Prefacing his remarks and calls for public servants to remain steadfast and resolute, he pointed to the fact, “we would have received calls from throughout the Caribbean, from Africa, trying to understand what it is that was achieved for labour by labour.”

Meanwhile in dismissing recent criticism by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo–who had lambasted Justice Kissoon’s ruling as presumptuous, Forde S.C., was adamant that what had been happening “under the leadership, under the governance of Bharrat Jagdeo and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is to lock out labour as a critical element in our society.”

According to Forde S.C., what Justice Kissoon did in his ruling was to decide, “in circumstances where the government is being oppressive, they are acting unilaterally, imposing wages conditions, rejecting CLAs, and you can establish that the union has acted responsibly by seeking to go through the process of conciliation arbitration, that the union and the workers have a right to strike and because of the government’s conduct, its failure to act in accordance with law, the workers are entitled to strike and no deductions be made from their salary.”

To this end, he posits, “…what would have happened by this decision, we would be able to break free from the clutches of the government, the court would have released all the obstacles in your way to ensure that you have better wages and conditions.” To this end, Forde S.C told the rally, “the only person, thing, or institution stopping you from moving from where you are right now, to ensuring you receive the wages and conditions you deserve is yourself.”

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• conditions, Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), High Court Judge, Labour Day 2024, Sandil Kissoon

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