GTUC looks forward to active participation in Social Cohesion Conference – reiterates calls for Ministry of Labour 

THE Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) says it welcomes the Conference on Social Cohesion to be hosted by subject Minister Amna Ally tomorrow, 2nd September, 2015. The GTUC said in a press statement that the act of establishing a ministry gives the impression that the government is prepared to advance international charters, conventions and laws and put programmes in place to make meaningful this concept which strives for greater inclusiveness, more civic participation and creating opportunities for upward mobility.
GTUC, the release said further, shall take its seat at the table through its President Bro. Leslie Gonsalves, make its input and look forward to active participation.
Social Cohesion as seen by the United Nations “is the glue that holds society together.” Its analysis, seen through three values speaks to: i) Social inclusion which attends to the degree to which all citizens can participate on equal footing in the economic, social and political life, including whether people are protected in times of need; ii) Social capital which refers to trust between people and in institutions and the sense of belonging to a society; and iii) Social mobility which attends to equality of opportunity to get ahead.
Outlined in the Preamble of the Constitution it requires of us to “Celebrate our cultural and racial diversity and strengthen our unity by eliminating any and every form of discrimination.” Recognising that these diverse strains contribute to the fabric of the nation and making us who we are GTUC calls for respect and strengthening of: Article13 (inclusionary democracy); Article 38 (duty of trade union to develop economy); Article 147 (freedom of assembly and association), Article 149 (protection from discrimination on the grounds of race, etc); and Article 149C (non-hindrance of the trade union in the management and decision-making processes of the State).

In that social inclusion requires every group opportunity to participate and be recognised as an integral part in decision-making on matters that affect the interests of members of the group, GTUC in its presentation is reiterating its calls for a Ministry of Labour.
The United Nations, Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank acknowledge the relevance of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Core Labour Standards in pursuing development, hence the importance of a specialised Ministry of Labour observable in other development and developing countries to effectively deal with, manage and address in a comprehensive manner diverse issues relating to Labour, and the GTUC desires to see same in Guyana.

The government’s position that Social Protection includes Labour misses the strategic importance of Labour, not as a core competence of social protection, but as the umbrella of the ILO four strategic objectives which are: “Promote and realise standards and fundamental principles and rights at work; create greater opportunities for women and men to decent employment and income; enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social protection for all; [and] strengthen tri-partism and social dialogue”).

Guyana is a signatory to the ILO and has shaped its Decent Work Agenda Programme off the principles and objectives of the ILO. The importance of Labour warrants separate focus and ministerial oversight. As this government settles in, this is an area that requires urgent review.

Gender equity defined by the United Nations which refers to “the social attributes and opportunities associated with being male and female and the relationships between women and men and girls and boys, as well as the relations between women and those between men,” is a factor in mobility and also social cohesion.

GENDER EQUALITY
Women’s political participation is a fundamental prerequisite for gender equality. Given the trend of women in education in Guyana, there should be no excuse for finding women to fill major positions. Education is one of the pillars for mobility and if girls are outperforming boys in all sectors, yet men outplaced women in decision-making positions of which women are qualified,  there is a policy deficit in ensuring gender equality. There can be no excuse given the statistics.

The plight of Guyanese males as noted in the reduction of proportional rates at examinations, graduation from high school and university is seen as a trend that requires urgent address so our future productive male population will not fall by the wayside, and deny opportunities for advancement.

Social cohesion undergirds the fundamental principles guiding international charters, conventions and Guyana Constitution. As such national consultation is not a privilege; it is a requirement of democracy. The GTUC’s participation and involvement in the shaping, developing and implementing of a National Social Cohesion Policy is guided by these principles. And while the GTUC lauds this exercise, it desires that the benefit of this exercise must not only be seen in the consultative process but in the implementation and continued engagement, the release concluded.

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