Dear Editor,
Since there is now some public discussion on my stewardship as General Secretary of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL), let it be clear that I have served my full term (2007-2010) and during the period fought the good fight on behalf of the workers of the region and have no regret dedicating three years to regional issues. The CCL represents the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean from Bermuda in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south, Belize in Central America, and Guyana and Suriname on the South America continent.
During my tenure the following major projects were singlehandedly conceptualized and initiated:
-Pursued and acquired grant funding from the Caribbean Development Bank
(CDB) to execute a Decent Work Project for the CCL;
-Realized the day-to-day participation of the CCL in the CARICOM/Canadian Inter-national Development Agency (CARICOM/CIDA) Competitive Project. Having championed and secured funding for this project it has since led to the benefit being extended to all other regional institutions who participated in the Project;
-Conceptualized and realized the CCL website – www.caribbeancongressoflabour. org;
-Initiated dialogue with the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI) to advance Labour’s interest in Food Security, consistent with the Treaty of Chaguaramas;
-Collaborated with CARIFORUM for the realization of the Caribbean labour movement’s Capacity Building Program, under grant funding from the European Union;
-Conceptualized and realized a Memoran-dum of Understanding (MOU) between the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) and the CCL. This MOU is now being used by the Office of Trade Negotia-tions (OTN) in CARICOM to engage all regional stakeholders on the issues of trade and trade negotiations;
-Initiated the proposed CARICOM/ Caribbean Employment Confederation/ Caribbean Congress of Labour (CARICOM/CEC/CCL) partnership agreement to address capacity building towards deepening the integration process among the Social Partners;
– The acceptance of the *Labour Platform* developed by the CCL under my
presidency (2004-2007), which is now used by the organization to guide
discussion on regional development with CARICOM and its attendant agencies;
-Deepened relationships with regional institutions that were initiated during my presidency of 2001-2004;
-Advanced the long awaited Trust Fund to meet the CCL’s financial needs by engaging the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) which is presently providing technical assistance to make this a reality. This idea was lying dormant since the 1980s awaiting action from the Secretariat;
-Started the process to make the CCL a CARICOM institution which will see the organization being the recipient of similar treatment enjoyed by CARICOM institutions.
With humility, my performance and the inroads made on behalf of the CCL have been ground breaking and a solid legacy that others can build on. I leave having communicated on November 6, 2009 my decision not to run for re-election. I returned to Guyana with pride, that on behalf of my country, Guyana has done its part in advancing the wellbeing of the workers in the region.
I am now back home which will allow me full time attention to the struggle on the ground to realize justice, fair play and equality for all workers-past, present and potential. These are the tenets of organized labour that I feel very passionately about and will continue to advocate for once there is breath in my body.
Yours faithfully
Lincoln Lewis
