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Last Tuesday, 24th October 2023, the government and the opposition met and discussed the increasing tensions and threats by Venezuela to our country; a show of good unity and strength that is worthy of applaud. From reports emanating from the media, the two sides focused intensely on the planned referendum, by Venezuela, slated for December 3, 2023. This activity is likely to have implications on the domestic internal politics of Caracas as well as add to the already complex situation in the international community. This referendum and its implications on diplomatic and other relations between Venezuela and Guyana warrants a special column, which I intent to do at a later date.
However, the meeting rightly and justly denounced that exercise, which is a flagrant violation of certain treaties and the rule of law. This attitude by certain members of the international community seem to find it both fashionable and convenient, especially in the face of internal conflicts, to disrupt the flow of good relations with other member states. Nevertheless, every patriotic Guyanese would agree with the view expressed at that meeting that, no effort should be spared to protect our territorial integrity, and to sustainably advance the interest and progress of all of our people, and bequeath to the next generation a legacy of goodness and prosperity.
It is settled knowledge that our beloved country- Guyana has a strategic geographic position in the Amazon and Greater Caribbean area, as demonstrated in the strategic thinking and military presence of the United States. We know that our country possesses abundant natural resources. This has been accentuated with the discoveries of massive oil finds, in different regions of Guyana.
Nonetheless, the country is characterized by a domestic political and ethnic cleavage. This allows an assortment of difficult challenges that affect civil comity, fairness, and justice and overall balance sustainable development. In some cases, this feature facilitates certain discriminatory practices, on the part of the government, particularly in the way benefits from the nation’s natural resources are distributed to different communities.
The government’s approach to managing these challenges has encouraged public scepticism about its sincerity to practice good governance; a clear perquisite to harness national unity to fight, fiercely, the diabolic and evil plan of an external aggressor. This scepticism is constantly shaping the realities of the ordinary Guyanese man and woman. Encrusted in those realities is a strong perception that, a very small, selected elite class is enjoying the benefits from the vast natural resources of this country As it now stands, the government has withdrawn more that 83 Billion dollars from the Natural Resources Fund (NRF).
Where have all the money gone? No. I am not being facetious; it is a serious question. Even though, government has been withdrawing huge amounts from the fund, Guyanese continue to struggle with crises of rising cost of living, frequent blackouts, and poor-quality water. There appears to be no plan by the incumbent to mitigate these hardships faced by ordinary Guyanese. Trade Unions, workers’ representatives, are still waiting on invitations from the government to sit and engage in serious conservations about taking measures to better the lives of the working class. The PPP/C has simply refused to sit and talk with the unions in a constructive way to improve wages and salaries for its workers. It is a shame.
Government must talk with the unions and honour the collective bargaining process. It is important that the government respect this process because it plays a significant role in ensuring fair labour practices, economic stability, and social development. Moreover, it is a fundamental right recognised by international labour standards and conventions. It upholds workers’ rights to negotiate the terms and conditions of their employment, ensuring social justice and fairness in the work place. In oil- rich Guyana, where the energy sector is a significant contributor to national wealth, collective bargaining allows workers to negotiate competitive wages, benefits and working conditions. This in turn assists in distributing the benefits of the oil industry more equitably among the workforce. And it contributes to political and social cohesion.
In the face of requests by the unions, the government continues to honour this process in the breach. As a result, while most public servants continue to receive wages of less than US500 per month, the cost of basic food items continue to spiral out of their reach. In a real sense, government indifference to the plight of Guyanese is widening the chasm between the rich and poor and keeping generations of people in economic backwardness, in this country.
It is important that we, Guyanese, stand together strong and united against that external bellicose aggressor- Venezuela, who, by various cunning means, is seeking to falsely lay claim to our national inheritance and birth right. Simultaneously, the government must demonstrate this understanding by being fair and even- handed in the way it manages and distributes the benefits of those resources to its citizens.
