President of the Guyana Public Service Union Patrick Yarde says the union is celebrating its 86th anniversary at a time when government’s conduct, anti-working class policies and practices constitute an unfortunate period in the country’s history.
In an 86th anniversary message, the long-standing GPSU president said that while the union is celebrating the unprecedented landmark in its proud history, “we do so painfully aware of the degradation and hardships currently endured by our struggling and deprived members due to ongoing inflation, failing economic prowess, mismanagement and extravagance of an uncaring employer.”
However, Yarde said that he would like to dedicate this year’s message “to all of our members” and noted that their “selflessness and unstinted service” had salvaged the collapse of the delivery of many public services that the citizenry needs and depends on by discharging their duties diligently while being “confronted with deliberate political action to weaken morale.”
In his message Yarde drew attention to the battle for security of tenure with strong opposition from the government while the administration itself, he noted, had recently passed in parliament legislation “securing excessive superannuation benefits for the holders of office of the President without quantum being based on length of service nor a requirement for an evaluation of performance in office.”
At the same time, Yarde observed, the government “has passed in parliament oppressive legislation intended to curtail fundamental rights, trade union rights, human rights, the worker’s right to withhold their labour power.”
Yarde declared that, “This we will challenge and resist. Such double standards we often encounter and endure when defending workers rights.”
And striking an optimistic chord, he said it must also be noted that “notwithstanding the many difficulties and injustices we suffer, our foundation is solid and intact. I salute our members for their alertness and willingness to defend our union at all times.”
Yarde said that his union viewed the government’s “conduct, anti-working class policies and practices as an unfortunate period in the history of our beloved country.”
But the GPSU president maintained that the union has the capacity to endure and will overcome the anti-working class assaults and will not allow it to affect their determination and commitment to make a contribution to the development of a modern professional career public service of Guyana that delivers quality public service to the nation.
