Guyana needs a new governance model at the political and trade union level

Dear Editor,

It was indeed refreshing to see trade unions from the two umbrella organisations, FITUG and GTUC, march in the streets of Georgetown and converge at the National Park for the first time after many  years. It was also great to hear trade union leaders speaking with one voice on the issue of wage increases, collective bargaining and the closure of Wales Estate, among other issues.

This show of unity and working class solidarity could not have come at a better time as the nation celebrates fifty years of political independence. One can only hope that this show of unity could be a precursor to a higher level of unity, namely, at the political level which despite several attempts in the past has proven elusive. Guyana needs a new governance model both at the political and at the trade union level that must be based on the principle of proportionality and fairness.

One reason for the failure to achieve unity at the trade union level in the past was the unfair and disproportionate representation given to the larger unions, in particular GAWU, at the Executive Committee of the GTUC. Several ‘paper unions’ were created with insignificant membership, but were allocated seats in the umbrella trade union body.

At the political level, the same misguided principle applied with the smaller parties demanding representational strength in cabinet out of proportion to their popular and electoral support. The Patriotic Coalition for Democracy (PCD) formed during the pre-1992 period folded up for the same reason, which eventually resulted in the formation of the PPP/Civic alliance which was swept into power in the elections of October 1992, the first free and fair elections in twenty-four years.

Dr Cheddi Jagan had repeatedly advanced the proposition that the PPP, even as the largest political party, had no desire to dominate the political space, but at the same time did not wish to be dominated. Regrettably, his offer was rejected which led to the dissolution of the PCD.

The country is now looking forward to the release of the constitutional reform report which was recently submitted to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. Guyana cannot advance on the basis of the current mode of adversarial politics and the winner-take-all formula.

After fifty years of independence we have to find new ways of realising our full potential, a necessary pre-requisite of which is political and national unity.

Yours faithfully,

Hydar Ally