A faction of the local trade union movement is rejecting assurances by the government that the world financial crisis is having no effect on Guyana, calling it irresponsible.
Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) President Patrick Yarde told a press conference yesterday that no country could consider itself isolated and he received the backing of Chairman of the Workers Group of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Sir Roy Trotman, who refused to accept that Guyana will be totally unaffected by the crisis. At the conference called to address Caribbean labour’s response to the global crisis, Yarde told reporters that there was no way he could accept that Guyana was isolated from the crisis.
He said there is poverty in Guyana and the explanations that have been made cite the inability to pay reasonable benefits as a result of the limitation of resources. “We always have a crisis here,” Yarde said. “It is just irresponsible to take a view that we are isolated…”
Supporting Yarde’s stance, Trotman said based on his discussions along the corridors of the ILO, there was no country that was inoculated from the crisis. “No country will be exempted or is immune from this crisis. It will not finish at Christmas, so far as I am concerned we are now entering into this crisis,” he said.
Trotman who is also General Secretary of the Barbados Workers Union is here in Guyana on a short visit during which he will meet the different unions as part of the regional union solidarity efforts.
However, addressing the issue of the global crisis, he pointed out that a meaningful response generally and the Caribbean, in particular, would not be possible unless its leaders involved the trade union movement, the appropriate employer organisations and other key stakeholders in the meaningful social dialogue.
He further noted that the establishment of a recovery strategy would have to be geared at creating employment with decent wages consistent with the Decent Work Agenda of the ILO and also at increasing aggregate demand thus spurring production.
He insisted too that there will have to be full respect for ILO conventions which call for freedom of association and the right to bargain collectively, fundamental principles and rights at work as well as the declaration concerning social justice.
He pointed out that it is imperative that any action directed at addressing the crisis gain the support of all sections of the population. He added that the governments of the Caribbean must ensure that they implement programmes to bring about fair regulation of the market and to discourage “casino gambling” with the lives of working men and women and their families.
Further, he said it was also in the interest of good governance that governments in the region open the flow of information in order for there to be transparency, accountability and responsibility, which are pre-requisites for satisfactory social dialogue and progress in the region. He pointed out that the aim of such a process should be to render any strategy pursued more relevant to the changing circumstances and challenges which the crisis represents.
Guyana has been in a financial melt down for years and to say otherwise or to suggest that Guyanan would be exempt from the financial crisis which is currently existing globally would be ludacris.
From a simplified view – there are lots of prominent Guyanese all over the world who have major investments, savings, 401K and stocks which are melting away in front of their eyes each second as the market remains volatile.
As stated int the article above, there are indeed lots of poverty in Guyana and many local Guyanese citizens depends on income from their family who are overseas so as to provide for their daily existence and subsistence. Also, even though Guyana has become one of the most dangerous place to exist (because of the high factor and rate of crime), many Guyanese do return home to invest.
Now when they continue to feel the squeze of their monetary flow, see their savings and future evaporate rapidly before theirs eyes and are force to live from day to day income, they will ultimately stop spending, stop saving, stop supporting families back hom, stop travelling to Guyana to visit families and now the flow of US $$$ will slowly cease to circulate
Also the govermnet should not become complacent and should evaluate all areas which larger countries are being affected by, For example the real estate market in Guyana. Because many folks do not own their home in Guyana that does not mean that there are not unethical real estate practise.
For example, I was interested in purchasing land from an individual on the east coase and they quote me a staggering price of $175,000 US dollars for a residental and commercial transport. I thought the person lost their mind. I said to myself that I must be crazy to buy a pieced of land (that was not even 2 acres) in Guyana for that staggering price when a property and house I bought in the us combined was much less than that. Capatalism exist in Guyana which is evident by the imbalance of the “have and the have nots”.
What we are seeing unfold in the US will utimately affect lots of smaller countries, Guyana included as with the dominoe effect. As they say Stuff down hill.
correction -”stuff roll down hill”
Guyana will be affected especially since the majority of them are in the habit of picking up the phone and molesting their families in the US to send them money (send once, and there is no end to the madness). I say that because I have seen it. This is a global problem. I work and pay into a pension in the US but there is no guarantee that is is going to be there if or when I should be ready to retire. Obviously we poor folks have to work until we die. At the same time, the rich just keeping getting richer. And we have to create our own old pensions — INDEPENDENTLY! Sad but true, I say this because I see it every single day.
I do agree with you Dove, Guyanese have been suffering
from a meltdown for the pass 16 years, the meltdown
that we are seeing here in the u.s.a. will make life
rougher, the time is coming when some of us here will not
be able to transfer money to our love ones as before, my
401K is not looking good.
Mr.Yarde is absolutely correct in his view that the economic situation will reach guyana and that guyana is not isolated from the current econmi crisis that America and Europe face currently.
The government has always disregard the viewpoint of certain people ,but the goverment must say to the guyanese people what step has been taken in protecting guyana from the meltdown .
A very important fact to remmember is that the majority of guyanese depends on overseas support , that support will be affected by this economic situation because guyanese living overseas will loose their jobs ,and this will affect the amount of money sent home to guyana which will further affect guyanese living in guyana spending power .
Now is the time for the Gorvernment to act responsibly and listen to all concern in guyana Mr.Yard has the experience and the data at hand after representing a section of the lowest paid workers in guyana for a number of years now .Public servants will be the ones hit hardest by any FURTHER economic woes in guyana and it is wise that Mr. Yarde express his view at this time .
When were we not in one. Can someone please tell me.
IF YOU SPEAK TO THE PPP THEN THE ANSWER WOULD BE DURING THE 28 YEARS OF THE PNC AND VICE VERSA
That is not telling it exactly like it is. Guyana is already in a financial meltdown like the rest of the developed nations.
guyana is already in a crisis, and thanks for mr.yarde being honest and letting the people know what is really happening.
Mr. yard is just a ‘ windbag’ like so many of the other Unionists, ……..which govt. spokesman, has .. … presented a statement to the effect That Guyana, will be unaffected, by the International Financial crisis,.?….. please educate me…. may have missed something…… Igot the feeling of what was being said that in certain areas guy will fare better than some other countries….. oh. well, must admit… this english language could be a little difficult for some of us sometime…… DOVE, sorry to laugh at your quote….. LLListen to Mr Yarde…. Public servants will feel the brunt ,etc,etc, Public servants all became Beggars with ..one stroke of the pen.. in 1990…. when the PNC govt. Floated the Guy dollar and their salary became toiletpaper…… . My friend I am really trying to elevate these ‘Bloggings’ to a level of credibility we can all be proud of….. Please help me…. could you imagine…. working for decades as a Snr. public servant,, saving .. over those years , perhaps $G 25, 000 , which, for your information could have bought a house, and waking up the next day only to discover it can’t buy a refrigerator? … could you?…. well that was the plight of all salaried people……. the persons who became the benefactors after then were the hard working self employed persons……. would love to go in to all the economic and pOlitical ramifications, … . but I leave you to do your research, then come back to further debate….
Guyflag, aren’ t you some what embarrassed by your attack on Mr Yarde? Your pseudo name suggest the extent of your patritism but you should not be blinded by that fact.
Why don’ t you wake to the reality that the PPP Government is taking down an abyss? Wake up Guyflag and stop dreaming about the PNC because they have been out of power for sixteen years.
I have said what I wanted to say and you have said what you wanted to say – no debate on my part, another time and place.
Guyana not immune meltdown??????, Guyana been meltdown already – in many areas………fix it GOVERNMENT or resign
WATCH OUT GUYS IF AMERICA SNEEZES THE WHOLE WORLD CATCHES A COLD PAY YARD NO ATTENTION HE IS NO AUTHORITY ON WORLD ECONOMICS. WATCH AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS COME FEBURARY. SPEND WISELY.
you might catch the cold, not everyone.
it all depend on the trade, some may never affected.
barbados is, no more visitors. they are dependent on tourist dollars, we are not, so let him go back to his white beaches and have a sun bath.
Guyana has been melting down since independence………………so yarde stop it with the humor.