Despite the unanimous adoption by Parliament of ILO conventions 86, 98, 151, on free collective bargaining, the government has acted in contravention by crudely imposing on workers, salary increases less than the inflation rate for over six years, GPSU President Patrick Yarde has said.
In a message to mark May Day, Yarde said that this practice by the government has depreciated workers’ economic capacity and relegated them deeper into poverty and despair.
Yarde said too that workers are being denied sustainable employment with security of tenure and retirement benefits and are being forced into vulnerable and exploitive contract employment. Hard won benefits that were earned and justified from the process of collective bargaining are being arbitrarily withdrawn.
He said workers are being criminalized and politically, discriminately and vindictively denied their right to fair employment and the unions of their choice are being blatantly and illegally obstructed and frustrated from functioning effectively in their interest as guaranteed by the Constitution of Guyana. Public funds and public agencies are being misused and abused politically to vilify and manufacture propaganda, he said adding that all of these actions are attempts to delay action and distract attention from genuine concerns.
Driven by this belief, the Guyana Public Service Union led public workers to take on this challenge one decade ago. “We stood firm in fending off political thugs in an effort to secure these ideals by sacrificing and struggling for 57 days,” Yarde recalled. “Today that sacrifice would be in vain if we do not take stock, rejuvenate and recommit to the defence of our rights together with all workers nationwide to salvage the gains won through the sacrifice of our forefathers and save our beloved country of Guyana from being a failed state.”
According to the GPSU President, there is need for credible and unimpeachable institutions; a process that starts with the judiciary, DPP, police force, army and a modern and professional public and civil service free from political tampering. There is need for review of the constitution and the creation of laws that deal specifically with the enforcement and upholding of fundamental human and civil rights and not “paper” rights as now exists, he added.
