Last Friday several trade unionists and activists staged another protest in front of the Office of the President, Vlissengen Road. The protest, which is held weekly, saw demonstrators standing in front of the compound bearing placards and a banner that called on the government to respect collective bargaining. The silent protest lasted for about an hour.
Article 147 of the Constitution of Guyana protects the right to collective bargaining where a trade union exists. Section 23 (1) of the Trade Union Recognition Act requires an employer to negotiate in good faith with the existing trade union.
The Government, which is the employer of workers in state-owned entities, continues to refuse to negotiate with some unions such as the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU). On the other hand, the government engages in collective bargaining with trade unions that represent workers in the state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).
The GPSU has taken the government to court asking the court to direct the government (i.e. employer) to respect collective bargaining.
Mr. Norris Witter, President of the General Workers Union (GWU), has been spearheading the weekly protests. The Union, he said, is staging the protest not because its members are affected, because they are not, but because the violation of the basic right is persistent by the government, and threatens the rights of all and the country’s stability. “As a trade unionist I take a stand because a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” he said.
Also in the protest was Mr. Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary of the GB&GWU and Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), and Mr. Lelon Saul, Secretary, Institute for Action Against Discrimination (IAAD).
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