GTUC Supports Teachers’ Strike; Govt must respect Court order

The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) is deeply concerned that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government is refusing to engage the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) to address workers’ legitimate grievances.

The PPP has put its public relations machinery that has gone into high gear to cloud the issue that has caused teachers to take industrial action. They are ignoring telling the public the industrial action is a result of their failure to engage the GTU on the Multi-Year Proposal for Wages/Salaries and Working Conditions submitted since August 2020.

The PPP is most uncomfortable seeing unity of the races, that is their biggest fear, and they will stoop to any level to create disunity, even when there is common interest. The issue of the teachers is not about race or party politics, it is about bread-and-butter issues that transcend race and politics. At the end of the day, they all face the same market prices.

Race must not be used as a factor in effort to divide the trade union movement. Play the race card is intended to sow division in the trade union movement by those who fear the power of a united people rising up against them. Labour more than any organisation has that potential power of uniting the people.

It is a matter of fact the PPP has on every occasion sought to resolve differences in industrial grievances where the majority of workers are East Indians. Where the majority of workers are Africans their grievances are ignored. When these workers pursue legitimate industrial actions to have their grievances addressed, the PPP accuses union leaders of being racist, politically driven or engaging in illegal activities.

The nation is well aware the PPP government is prepared to facilitate discussions between the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the  Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the National Association of Clerical Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), both of which are being led by East Indians.

Correspondingly the GTU, Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), Guyana Bauxite and General Workers (GB&GWU), whose leadership is primarily Africans, continue to be ignored by the PPP. Presently GPSU has matters before the court because of government’s decision not to engage in collective bargaining with the union.

GTUC calls on the PPP government to let good sense prevail and stop playing the race card. They must uphold the Constitution and Labour Laws of Guyana by meeting the union across the table.  Article 147 (2) protects the right to strike and Section 23(1) of the Trade Union Recognition on the employer, in this instance the Government of Guyana, to negotiate in good faith.

Aluta Continua!