The right to strike remains valid in every society. It is a fundamental right that workers have relied upon throughout history to protect their interests, secure justice, and ensure that collective bargaining remains meaningful.
That is why the recent position taken by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) deserves the attention of every worker, employer, government official, and citizen.
In one of its latest rulings, (May 21, 2026) the ICJ reaffirmed that the right to strike remains a fundamental right and must be respected not only by governments but also by employers and all stakeholders. This position reinforces what trades unions around the world have argued for generations and what the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has long recognised as a cornerstone of industrial relations. The significance of this ruling cannot be overstated.
The ILO, established in 1919, remains the only international institution where governments, employers, and workers’ organisations (trades union) come together as equal partners in determining labour standards and principles. It is the only body where decisions affecting the world of work are made with the full participation and support of governments, employers, and workers alike. The rights and standards that emerge from that process command respect because they represent a consensus among all three social partners.
It is against this backdrop that the ILO has consistently embraced and defended the right to strike. The United Nations system and its agencies have likewise respected these positions because they recognise that freedom of association and collective bargaining cannot be effectively exercised if workers are denied the right to withdraw their labour.
As Guyanese, we must examine these developments carefully because they have direct relevance to what is unfolding in our own country.
The current dispute involving the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) is a case in point.
In April 2024, Justice Sandil Kissoon delivered a ruling that upheld the principles of collective bargaining and recognised the rights of workers and their union. Nevertheless, the Government of Guyana-through Ministry of Education- which often describes itself as a workers’ government, has continued along a path that denies teachers the automatic deduction of union dues and refuses to fully honour the principles underpinning collective bargaining.
This matter goes to the heart of whether workers’ rights, collective agreements, judicial decisions, and established labour principles will be respected. It raises a fundamental question: Can workers have confidence that agreements freely entered into will be honoured, or will those agreements be disregarded whenever it becomes politically convenient?
The Guyana Teachers Union now finds itself forced to operate under circumstances that should never have arisen. Rights that have been recognised by law, affirmed through collective bargaining, and supported by international labour standards must not be treated as optional.
What is happening today should concern every Guyanese citizen.
The parties who govern this nation were elected by the people. Their decisions ought therefore to reflect respect for the people and respect for the rights they possess. However, there remains a troubling tendency in some quarters to undermine fundamental labour rights while expecting workers to quietly accept the erosion of protections that generations before them fought to secure.
Around the world, governments and employers have sought to deny workers the right to strike while insisting that employers retain the right to lock out workers. Such an imbalance cannot be justified. Rights cannot be applied selectively. Fairness cannot operate only in one direction.
The right to strike remains a fundamental democratic safeguard. It gives workers a meaningful voice when all other avenues have been exhausted. Without it, collective bargaining becomes little more than an empty exercise.
In Guyana, the protection of these rights is not merely a matter of international principle. It is grounded in our own laws. Article 147 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of association, while ILO Conventions No. 87 and No. 98 affirm the rights of workers to organise and engage in collective bargaining. These standards must be respected by everyone.
We have now reached a point where workers and citizens alike must be prepared to defend these rights and insist that they be respected.
It is for this reason that the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) calls on every Guyanese citizen to embrace this cause. Every worker, every professional, every student, every pensioner, and every member of society should recognise that the issue before us extends far beyond the Teachers Union.
This is about protecting rights that belong to all workers. This is about ensuring that collective bargaining remains meaningful. This is about ensuring that governments respect agreements they have entered into and laws they are obligated to uphold. This is about ensuring that Guyana honours the principles recognized by the ILO and reinforced by the ICJ.
We have come full circle.
The rights workers enjoy today were not handed down as gifts. They were won through struggle, sacrifice, solidarity, and determination. Those rights can be weakened and eventually lost if workers remain silent while they are being eroded.
I therefore call on every worker to stand with the trade union movement, with the members of the Guyana Teachers Union, and with every citizen who believes in justice and fairness. We must demand that the Government of Guyana respect the collective agreement, respect the Laws of Guyana, respect Article 147 of the Constitution, and respect the principles affirmed by the international community.
The ICJ has reaffirmed that the right to strike is fundamental. The ILO has defended that position for more than a century. Justice Kissoon upheld the principles of collective bargaining in April 2024. The Constitution of Guyana protects freedom of association. The law is very clear. The question is no longer what the law requires but whether the regime will respect it, not only for some trades unions but all.
The time has come for change. We must work assiduously to ensure that the right to strike, the right to collective bargaining, and the rights of workers are respected not only in words but in practice. Anything less would be a betrayal of workers, a betrayal of the Constitution, and a betrayal of the democratic principles upon which Guyana is built.
