GTUC says CARICOM must move beyond promises

Jul 06, 2026 News

…as region battles mounting crises

(Kaieteur News) – The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has called on Caribbean leaders to move beyond rhetoric and fully implement regional decisions, warning that the promise of Caribbean integration will remain unfulfilled if governments continue to place national interests above collective commitments.

In a message marking CARICOM Day 2026, the GTUC joined governments and citizens across the region in commemorating the 53rd anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which established the Caribbean Community on July 4, 1973.

GTUC says CARICOM must move beyond promises

General Secretary of the GTUC, Lincoln Lewis

The congress paid tribute to CARICOM’s founding leaders: Forbes Burnham, Errol Barrow, Michael Manley and Eric Williams, saying they recognised that Caribbean states would be better able to protect their sovereignty and improve the lives of their citizens through unity and collective action.

While acknowledging CARICOM’s achievements in education, healthcare, disaster preparedness, regional security, trade, culture and the free movement of skilled nationals, the GTUC said the integration movement has yet to realise its full potential.

“The promise of regional integration remains only partially fulfilled,” the congress stated, pointing to persistent unemployment, widening inequality, rising food and energy prices, heavy public debt, climate change, organised crime, migration pressures and growing geopolitical uncertainty.

The labour body argued that these challenges require stronger regional institutions and more decisive collective action.

It also expressed concern over what it described as the slow implementation of decisions taken by CARICOM heads of government.

“Regional integration cannot advance at the pace required if national interests consistently outweigh regional obligations. The community’s credibility ultimately rests not only on the agreements it reaches, but on its willingness to honour and implement them,” the GTUC said.

Speaking on behalf of Caribbean workers, the congress urged regional governments to place greater emphasis on creating decent jobs, protecting workers’ rights, strengthening social dialogue, improving education and skills training, advancing food and energy security, and ensuring that the benefits of economic growth are shared more equitably.

The GTUC also commended Carla Barnett for her leadership during a period of significant regional and global challenges, while reaffirming its support for efforts to strengthen CARICOM’s institutions and deepen regional cooperation.

The congress further urged political leaders across the region to recommit to the principles on which CARICOM was founded, saying leadership must “rise above narrow political considerations” and demonstrate the vision and commitment needed to strengthen democratic governance, safeguard regional institutions and protect the interests of Caribbean people.

According to the GTUC, no Caribbean nation can successfully confront issues such as climate change, economic transformation, regional security, public health, labour mobility and food production in isolation.

As the community marks another anniversary, the congress called on governments, employers, workers, youth and civil society to renew their commitment to regional integration.

“The vision embraced in Chaguaramas more than 53 years ago remains worthy of our unwavering commitment. It is now the responsibility of this generation to preserve, strengthen and pass that legacy on to those who follow,” the GTUC said.

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CARICOM, CARICOM Day, GTUC, Promises

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