GPSU concerned at ‘mediocrity’ among some union leaders

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) is “seriously concerned” about what it described as the “mediocrity” displayed by some union leaders with Agreements which they enter into that compromise and add to the difficulty of trade unionism nationally.

One such agreement was recently published in the newspapers, the union’s leader, Patrick Yarde said in his President’s Message, in an apparent reference to the just inked Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) pact. Last week the GTU inked a new five-year agreement with the Ministry of Education dubbing it a “giant step” largely because of the non-salary benefits, and not the annual five percent pay hike that teachers will receive.

“Trade unionism in Guyana must be defined by strong leadership that always places the best interest of the general membership first and this should be the leading principle in any Agreement”, Yarde said.

He noted that in spite of some accomplishments, much remains to be done and “some of the negative and depressing circumstances that our members and workers in general have faced persist; some of which have even taken on new forms”. Among these, he said, is their failure to convince the employer to honour obligations it has freely entered into and to act in accordance with the terms of Agreement.

The union leader said that there are elements with power and influence who would wish to turn back the clock and deny workers many hard-won benefits and the situation is compounded by the “mediocrity” displayed by some union leaders with Agreements which they enter into.

Further, Yarde said, workers often call for change but cannot seem to reach a place where the fundamental changes needed are genuinely addressed and it is this goal they must strive to achieve. “I implore you today, to totally reject those policies that diminish defined pension plans, disregard the principle of Collective Bargaining; deprive our young people of the right to livable wages; disregard the Rule of Law and those policies that breed discrimination, insecurity and unequal opportunity and disunity,” he said.

He said that workers need government to wake up and ensure continuous opportunities for training for all workers and called for a national job strategy. Good governance is absolutely necessary to attain a desirable national environment, Yarde added.

He said that while Labour Day is about celebrating the contributions made by hardworking men and women who advance enlightened and improved conditions of service as well as whose labour creates the wealth and prosperity of our country, it is an opportune time for workers to rededicate themselves to securing the respect that is often lacking in so many arenas when referring to public service workers.

“In this regard, let us examine when last government sincerely treated the well-being of their employees or their constituents as first priority. This, we must think over when we consider the funds allocated in the 2011 National Budget for contract employment and the treatment of the private sector vis á vis the collectors of revenue as well as the persons responsible for discharging their policies”, Yarde added.

He noted that labour rights protection are being undermined worldwide as workers are seeing permanent, regular jobs being replaced by contract labour  and insecure employment.