The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), in a statement, said this year’s May Day March and Rally, are being held at time of widespread hopelessness and growing poverty. On Monday, 1st May there will be a march through the streets of Georgetown, starting from Independence Park (aka Burnham Court) and ending at the Critchlow Labour College, Woolford Ave, where a rally will follow. The march starts at 7:30 a.m. and rally at 10:30 a.m.
This year’s theme is “Building a strong progressive union to deal with the challenges” GTUC noted the march and rally come against the backdrop of the perilous times working are experiencing and the need to refocus the trade union as the bulwark in the struggle for improved working conditions and better standard of living.
“Labour Day comes at a time when workers, in the world’s fastest growing economy (Guyana), are deprived of a liveable wage and standard of living commensurate with the Gross Domestic Product. Pensioners are losing hope their circumstances in their golden years could get better. Almost half of the nation’s population is surviving on less than GUY$1200,00 per day according to World Bank Report. Many of the nation’s children are going to bed and school hungry.”
The constitutional right to join a trade union of choice and engage in collective bargaining is being violated with impunity, GTUC charged, citing the biggest recalcitrant is the government, the nation’s largest employer and custodian of the Constitution and Laws of Guyana. “Workers continue to bear witness of the two societies where the gap between the haves and have-nots is widening.”
The right to vote, which GTUC said the trade union initiated the struggle for in 1926, is being tested as never before.,
Since Nomination Day on April 17 for Local Government Elections there continue to be revelations of voters’ impersonation The Elections are be held on June 12, 2023. Dead persons have appeared as nominators for candidates, persons residing overseas, and persons names have appeared on several lists as nominators without their consent. The claims of wrongdoing have been attributed to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). The nominators’ names appeared on the lists for PPP candidates.
According to the GTUC, even before the first ballot is cast there are fears, not unjustified, that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will abrogate its constitutional duty to ensure free, fair and credible election and election free from fear and being compromised.
Turning attention to the socio-economic conditions in society, the Union pointed out that in a land of plenty there is rising despair and hopelessness and noted that “workers’ only hope, apart from emigrating, is to unite in the face of the adversities and fight back.
GTUC President Coretta McDonald, Vice President Norris Witter and General Secretary Lincoln Lewis are the main speakers at the rally. The GTUC is inviting all unions, workers and the public to participate.
