By Mark DaCosta- On Monday, May 23, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) hosted an International Labour Organization (ILO) workshop on the ILO’s Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP). The event – attended by some 22 leaders and representatives of various local trade union bodies – was held at the Critchlow Labour College building in Georgetown.
The DWCP is an ILO initiative aimed towards bringing together workers, employers, and governments with the objective of improving living and working conditions. The programme is tailored to each individual territory, and designed to mesh seamlessly with each country’s development plan.
About the programme, the ILO states that, “DWCP is a way to tightly integrate workers’ rights — human rights — into policy-making and development strategy in a national scope to reflect our effort in achieving sustainability.”
The day-long workshop was declared open by GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis. Following this, remarks were delivered by DWCP Director for the Caribbean, Mr. Dennis Zulu, who expressed satisfaction and pleasant surprise that so many Guyanese trade unionists from diverse unions were cordially interacting in a friendly manner. ILO Workers’ Activities Specialist Ms. Vera Guseva expressed similar sentiments during her presentation. She said that in some territories, workers’ representatives don’t even want to be in the same room with each other.
Following opening remarks, the working session kicked off with a comprehensive and information-packed presentation by Ms. Ingerlyn Caines, DWCP Senior Programme Officer.
This workshop follows previous engagements between the GTUC and the ILO regarding implementing a DWCP in Guyana.
The ILO currently operates such programmes in some 50 territories worldwide, two of which are in the Caribbean States of Suriname and The Bahamas. The ILO representatives said that based on requests from a number of countries, there are prospects for implementation of programmes in about 20 additional territories in the region.
