-National Tripartite Committee, ILO host two-day workshop
Key representatives of the Labour Ministry and the United Nations (UN) Thursday met at a planning workshop to develop a Decent Work Country Programme for Guyana. The two-day workshop at the Grand Coastal Inn, Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara, was convened by the National Tripartite Committee/International Labour Organisation (ILO) and will see discussions focusing on five-specific areas linking national development objectives and outcomes in the ILO’s programme and budget. These include creation of green jobs and decent work in the framework of Guyana’s Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), enhancement of Technical Vocational Educational Training (TVET) and the introduction of entrepreneurship education for disadvantaged groups, revitalization of cooperatives, strengthening of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, and employers’ and workers’ organisations.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, in his address at the opening of the workshop, supported the programme noting that the issue of decency is very much a question of how persons see each other.
“The issue of decency is more a reflection of the way people feel about each other and relate to each to each other. If persons view each other as equals and with full respect, decency would not be a problem,” the Prime Minister said.
He expressed gratitude to the ILO and the UN bodies for the assistance they have been giving Guyana in areas such as helping to address and improve the work situation in the country.
Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir highlighted that the decent work agenda country programme development is cited within the National Tripartite Committee and will continue to refer to national issues, challenges, programmes, policies and development in the committee.
He said while the opening of the workshop is a simple ceremony, the development of the programme for Guyana is of great importance for the National Tripartite Committee.
While expressing appreciation and gratitude to the ILO for the work they have been doing for Guyana and in particular the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Minister Nadir pointed out that through the organization, the Ministry at present runs almost US$1M in programmes every year.
“This year we will spend close to $300,000 on our HIV/AIDS work place programme and our prevention of child labour programme. Through the ILO, it is going to be close to US$600,000, that’s two very tangible and financially significant programmes that the ILO runs with us,” he stated.
Minister Nadir further explained that a strategic planning workshop with a gender focus will be convened in April to develop responses to better include gender issues and strategic planning.
“Guyana remains very committed to most of these principles that we are going to be speaking about…I am confident that out of all of this we will see better policies and programmes that will help significantly the development of all of our peoples,” the Minister said.
Director, International Labour Organisation, Sub-regional Office for the Caribbean, Dr. Ana Romero, noted that the principles of work have long been observed by the Government of Guyana and its people as enshrined in the country’s constitution and national legislation.
She said decent work readily embodies the aspirations of ordinary people for their rights to be respected both as employers and workers, and for them to have opportunities for employment and training that would enable them to find and to keep jobs.
Dr. Romero added that decent work also encompasses dialogue, citing that the National Tripartite Committee of the country, having convened the meeting to discuss the areas in which the ILO and other members of the international community can provide support, bears testimony to the existence of dialogue in the country.

“You have four pillars: rights, jobs, protection and dialogue, and that is the essence of the decent work agenda,” Dr. Romero said
It was further noted that the discussion on the country programme in relation to the constituents of the country will constitute a part of the broad UN support for Guyana
“We will be contributing to the UN initiative to deliver as one in Guyana, through our sectoral approach to Guyana’s development in the areas of the world of work,” she added.
General Secretary, Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Norman Witter, said that it is the Union’s hope that over the two days of discussion for the development of the programme, representatives will ensure that the programme is not only a reality, but whatever is committed to, is also zealously embraced by the parties.
Vice-President, Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), Grantley Culbard, welcomed the programme, and said that it is hoped that at the end, it would help to push persons into action in terms of dealing with the agenda outlined by the ILO Director.
“We have many problems, but you can only solve your problems by sitting down, talking and discussing…if citizens of Guyana are to develop this country, we have to be concerned about what we do as a workers’ organisation in terms of looking after the welfare of those whom we represent,” Culbard said.
Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry (CAGI), Samuel Goolsarran, also expressed appreciation to the ILO since it has had a long and rich history in the Region and Guyana, and noted that it has contributed in its long-standing service to the global and national developments in the world of work.(GINA)