– Ramotar says at GAWU congress opening
THE business sessions of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) 19th Delegates Conference began yesterday in Port Mourant and will continue over the next three days as members reflect on the activities of the Union since the last congress and analyse the present economic and political environment.

At Saturday’s opening ceremony at the Guyana International Conference Centre, (GICC) the concerns about the global and financial crisis and its impact on workers, were highlighted among the issues to be addressed.

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Donald Ramotar said the financial and economic crisis, which has its origins in the developed world has spread to all parts of the globe and has been the cause of the collapse of several financial institutions.

In the process, workers have been losing their jobs at a rapid pace. By last year to now millions of workers have lost their jobs, many has been thrown out of their homes and have taken refuge on the streets,” Ramotar said.

He added too that the crisis has hit at a time when workers organizations in the developed world are at their weakest and where trade unions have been subject to several ideological and other attacks from media owned by some of the most powerful businesses in the world.

Pointing to the developing world, he alluded to scenarios where workers have been showing hostility to trade unions.

The need for workers’ education has never been as great as it is today,” Ramotar said.

Although the impact of such a crisis has been felt in Guyana, the country has managed to “stay above” the worst of the crisis because of its strong social programmes, Ramotar said.

He joined in calling on the congress to give careful consideration to the international environment with a view of formulating positions to advance national interests and the interests of the working people.

Speaking directly to the sugar industry, Ramotar said trying to determine what would be the best interest of the workers cannot be avoided.

The industry has been experiencing turbulent times and Ramotar said the solution is for the industry to eradicate inefficiencies at all levels.

We have to focus on production and productivity. It is only by lifting out levels can we raise our industry to new heights, including adding value to the products,” Ramotar said.

Similar calls were made by labour union representatives from the Caribbean and further afield who are participating in the Congress, to put on the agenda, the challenges facing the world and not allowing it to be used as a guise to undermine the victories of the labour movement.

GAWU was recognized for representing the majority of sugar workers and according to Jamaican Trade Unionist, Lambert Brown, they are much better off because of the Union. 

He noted that the world today is facing the greatest crisis since the famous depression of the 1930s but he said he was proud of the optimisms of the 19th congress to advance social development through greater workers’ democracy.