“A nation united can never be defeated,” Lewis tells workers on May Day

Brothers and Sisters,

We gather in the shadow of tragedy—tragedies that have shaken the soul of this nation. In recent days, we have mourned the loss of fellow citizens whose constitutional right to life was callously violated. Yet even in grief, we’ve seen something powerful: unity. Across every barrier—race, religion, politics—our people stood together, clinging to the inspiration of “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.” And in that unity, we are reminded of a timeless truth: a nation united can never be defeated!

Let us now pause for a moment of silence—for 11-year-old Adrianna Younge; Waveney LaCruz and her daughters, Maline LaCruz and Sueann LaCruz; Ronaldo Peters; Keon Fogenay; Kenesha Vaughn; and for all those who’ve fallen to injustice, abuse, and neglect. Their names must never fade from memory. Their deaths must not be in vain.

In a law-abiding society, the police are meant to be more than enforcers of the law—they are supposed to be the guardians of justice, the shield between order and chaos, the unwavering protectors of every citizen’s safety and dignity. Their duty is sacred: to serve without bias, to act without fear, and to uphold the law with integrity, even when no one is watching. But in Guyana, the Guyana Police Force has too often failed to live up to this sacred calling.

Instead of building trust, they have bred fear. Instead of delivering justice, they have been complicit in injustice—through corruption, abuse of power, and a blatant disregard for the rights of the very people they are sworn to protect. The people of Guyana deserve better. They deserve a police force that serves, not one that silences; a force that protects, not one that preys.

Until the Guyana Police Force commits to real accountability, professionalism, and respect for human rights, they will remain a symbol of betrayal rather than justice. The time for reform is not tomorrow. It is now!

These moments demand more than mourning. They demand bold, unrelenting action. They demand that we shake Guyana from complacency and move, with urgency and purpose, toward a nation where the constitutional right to life is not just words on paper, but a sacred, unbreakable truth. It is time to restore law and order as the unshakable pillars of our society—to rebuild a Police Force that is not feared, but respected; not corrupted, but committed; a force that serves and protects every citizen with integrity and according to universal standards of justice and human rights.

We must make real the promise of true inclusionary democracy, as guaranteed by Article 13 of our Constitution—not someday, not when it’s convenient, but now. And we must confront and crush the barriers that hold us back—pettiness, tribalism, division, and the poisonous games of political mischief. Enough is enough. The people of Guyana deserve a nation that lives up to its highest ideals. The time for change is not coming. The time is here. The time is now!

Let us confront the barriers—pettiness, division, and political mischief—that poison our national progress.

“We need a change where the State respects workers’ rights.”
A change where no nurse, teacher, public servant, sugar worker, or miner is treated as invisible or disposable. A change where collective bargaining is honoured, not ignored; where court rulings in favour of workers are enforced, not evaded; and where every citizen’s labour is met with dignity, fair compensation, and protection under the law. Too often, workers have carried this nation on their backs only to be left behind. This must end! A nation cannot rise if its workers are kept on their knees. The State must stop seeing workers as obstacles and start treating them as partners in progress.

Let us be clear about the facts:

1. We are the citizens of this Republic.
2. We are the financiers of the State.

This country is ours, and its governance must reflect the voices, needs, and dreams of all its people—not just the privileged few. That is not a favour. It is a right.

The absence of checks and balances has turned governance into performance theatre, one marked by impunity, chaos, and lawlessness. In a healthy democracy, the minority is not an afterthought—it is an active participant. In a just society, law and order are sacred, not selective.

We say today to those who hold power: this land does not belong to your party, your clique, or your dynasty. The taxes you spend are not gifts—they are the people’s money. And they must serve the people. All the people.

The GTUC believes that real development is impossible without justice. That the protection of fundamental human rights, dignity, and participation is non-negotiable. Guyana is not short on resources—it is short on will. Will to do what is right.

This country is brimming with promise. But potential alone means nothing if it is not realised equitably. We must commit to justice not as a slogan, but as a national creed.

Let us speak without fear: Any attempt to marginalise or exclude any part of our people—whether by race, region, or political alignment—is not just wrong, it is dangerous. It fractures our nation, breeds resentment, and sows the seeds of collapse.

Yes, they boast that Guyana is the fastest-growing economy in the world. But what does that mean to the single mother in Berbice? The young jobless graduate in Linden? He who sleeps on the pavement and ravishes through garbage for his next meal? The pensioner? The nurses, teachers, public servants who live from paycheque to paycheque? The sugar worker in West Demerara? Where is their share of the wealth? Where is their justice?

Let us remind this government: the Constitution is not a suggestion—it is the supreme law. And Article 13 demands equity, inclusion, and representation.

We acknowledge the restoration of free education from nursery to university, which many over the years fought for….it was restored not out of kindness but the people’s growing demands. And we say to this regime: you cannot claim credit while ignoring the debt you owe. For 31 years, tens of thousands of Guyanese were burdened with tuition fees they should never have paid. That injustice must be corrected. The GTUC demands the immediate cancellation of all outstanding tuition debt—and full refunds to those who paid. This is not charity. It is re-parative justice.

And let us be honest: we cannot, on one hand, demand reparations from former colonial powers, while refusing to right the wrongs we impose on our own people. Justice must begin at home.

When we proposed direct and indirect cash transfers, it was to bring fairness, transparency, and dignity. These programmes must not be tools for political patronage. We call on the Ali administration to publish a full accounting of every dollar spent and every name on the list. The people will judge whether that wealth was fairly shared.

And so today, we reaffirm and re-submit our 15-Point National Plan—a blueprint for inclusion, justice, and shared prosperity that we have laid before this nation in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and again in 2025: We demand the following:

1. Implementation of Article 13 – make citizen participation real.
2. Constitute all Constitutional Commissions – now.
3. Devolve power to local and regional governments.
4. Mandate at least 60% parliamentary approval for the national budget.
5. Affirmative action for equal and equitable access to jobs, contracts and services.
6. Direct and indirect cash transfer from oil revenue, including a universal $5,000 annual household grant annually.
7. Eliminate PAYE
8. Launch unemployment benefits through the NIS.
9. Protect union rights and enforce collective bargaining; settle outstanding grievances and respect court rulings that favour the workers/citizens and protect the environment. Among these include outstanding severance pay to workers of the Bauxite Company Guyana Inc (BCGI); restoration of teacher’s check-off payment, and so forth.
10. Expand school feeding to every public-school child.
11. Upgrade healthcare with trauma centres in all 10 regions.
12. Lower living costs and restore national public transport.
13. Provide soft loans for housing improvements.
14. Secure and reform the NIS, free of political mismanagement.
15. Expand vocational and tertiary education.

This is not a wishlist. This is a demand for dignity. A plan rooted in rights, not favours. The time for political theatre is over. We demand accountability. We demand fairness. We demand our share.

The GTUC will not stand down. We will work with every citizen, every group committed to justice. We speak today for Labour—past, present, and potential. We speak for the future of this country. And we will not be silenced.

We envision a nation where every citizen, regardless of their background, has a seat at the table. Where the wealth of our land is shared equitably, and where justice is not a privilege but a right.

The GTUC stands firm in its belief that true democracy is participatory, inclusive, and just. We call upon the government to uphold the Constitution, to restore the rights of the people, and to ensure that every voice is heard.

We demand free, fair, and credible elections. Elections that reflect the will of the people, not the whims of the powerful. Elections that honour the sacrifices of those who fought for our right to choose.

Let us unite, as Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow did, to forge a path forward. Let us build a nation where justice, equality, and democracy are not mere ideals but living realities.

The union makes us strong.
Together, we are unstoppable.
Solidarity!
Solidarity Forever!

May Day Welcome Address By GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis’