Independence Must Deliver for the Workers Who Fought for It

As Guyana celebrates its 59th Independence Anniversary, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) honours the workers—past, present, and future—whose sacrifices, struggles, and leadership paved the way for our country’s freedom on May 26, 1966. Yet today, we must confront a difficult truth: while independence was won, its promise remains unfulfilled for too many.

Independence must mean something—especially for those who made it possible. The Labour Movement, beginning with the founding of the Trade Union Movement in 1926, was central to the struggle for self-determination. It is workers who marched, organised, and agitated to break the chains of colonial rule. But in today’s oil-rich Guyana, many workers find themselves shut out of the wealth they helped to make possible.

In 2025, Guyana boasted a $ $1.38 trillion (US$6.63 billion) and projected oil revenues of US$2.8 billion. Despite these figures, the average worker continues to struggle—denied decent jobs, livable wages, safe working conditions, and the basic dignity of a fair pension. Collective bargaining rights are under threat. Bauxite workers remain without termination benefits. The promises of independence are slipping out of reach for those who built this nation.

This is not a mixed anniversary for Guyana’s working class. Instead of inclusion, they face exclusion. Instead of opportunity, they face despair. The very government that should protect their rights is challenging a court ruling that upholds collective bargaining—a constitutional right. Worse still, Guyana in 2025 is dangerously divided, drifting from its foundational motto: “One People One Nation One Destiny.” Discrimination, marginalisation, and inequality persist across race, geography, and class, threatening the very fabric of our nation.

The GTUC renews its call for a governance model that is inclusive, constitutional, and rooted in human rights. We demand leadership that serves all—especially the vulnerable, the working poor, and those left behind.

The Trade Union Movement remains committed to fighting for a just and equitable Guyana—for a nation where workers are respected, their rights protected, and their contributions rewarded. We continue to press for proper management of our national resources—human, natural, and economic—for the benefit of all.

The Workers’ 11-Point Call to Action:

1. Implement Article 13 of the Constitution to ensure inclusionary democracy and citizen participation in decision-making.
2. Peg Old Age Pensions to at least the national minimum wage.
3. Restore the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) to financial viability and activate unemployment benefits for displaced workers.
4. Revise Salary Bands for public servants, the Disciplined Services, and teachers to match the new economic reality.
5. Implement a Universal Cash Grant of $1 million to every adult Guyanese from oil revenues, as proposed by Professor Clive Thomas.
6. Honour Tripartite Wage Agreements made under the APNU+AFC government for private-sector workers.
7. Uphold the Right to Collective Bargaining, enshrined in Article 147 of the Constitution and protected under international labour conventions.
8. Ensure Free Education from nursery to university, cancel student debt at the University of Guyana (UG), and reinvest in UG and Critchlow Labour College.
9. Guarantee Equitable Access to Opportunities in oil and non-oil sectors—guided by need, merit, and fairness, not politics or ethnicity.
10. Promote Political, Economic, and Social Justice—there can be no peace where justice is denied.
11. Abolish PAYE to ease the burden on working-class households and stimulate real income growth.

On this 59th Independence Anniversary, GTUC urges every Guyanese to reflect on the journey we’ve made—and the battles yet to be won. Our ancestors fought for our freedom. We must honour them not just in word, but in action—by continuing the fight for justice, dignity, and shared prosperity.

Happy Independence, Guyana. Let us make it mean something—for all