THERE are persons, especially those of a sufficiently mature age, who can easily recall the Energy Shocks that shook the Global economies as from early 1974, and who might be able to remember a particular Guyana Chronicle headline in January of the same year, which stated that the local economy was on a war footing.

Consequent upon such a terse announcement, the senior public sector managers of the day were briefed on very stringent measures they were to oversee in terms of managing their respective entities, with minimizing waste being the base.

This was understood since the prevailing circumstances of that period meant that the administration had to pay more for oil, a situation common to all the non-oil producing countries at that time. A most profound restriction instituted in the local context was that which confined Guyanese to the allowance of G$15 for overseas travel, except in very special circumstances.

But there was an arrangement that was to have what can be described as dire consequences for labour and the Trade Union Movement in this country.

The Trade Union Council, headed by the indomitable Joseph Pollydore, known for his independence, and outspoken against the PNC’s attempts to control the movement, was asked to dissuade industrial action within the public service, due to the peculiar conditions that confronted the State.

This request, assented to by the TUC, was to have dire consequences for Trade Unionism and workers’ rights in this nation, a fact which the perennial critics and naysayers conveniently and hypocritically forget, whenever they accuse the PPP administration of anti-worker tactics.

This support from labour facilitated the PNC government’s suppression of the legitimate rights of workers. Not only were workers mortally afraid to strike, but those union leaders who confronted the regime faced the wrath of an administration, which social and economic policies were exposed by a debilitating economic crisis. Who will forget the narrow escape of the PSU’s George Daniels from what would have been certain physical elimination by then elements of the Security Forces; or the daily battles of the CCWU’S Gordon Todd with the PNC government over workers’ rights, and whose voice was finally silenced after a reportedly very frightening ultimatum.

Then there was the very tense stand-off between striking Guyana Stores workers and  scabs of the Young Socialist Movement(YSM), directed by former strongman Hamilton Green. All these are horrible memories of a by-gone era when workers rights were trampled upon.

May Day rallies are no longer compulsory for workers to attend, as used to be in those very frightening days, and conditions and safeguards for the working class have improved tremendously. It was only natural for these gains to be made under the PPP/C government whose vanguard party was fashioned from the crucible of intense struggle with the colonial plantocracy.

Since 1992, minimum wages have progressed from a paltry $400 to just under US$200; and between 2005 to current, there has been an approximate increase of 50% in public sector earnings, in addition to billions spent in training and development for the nation’s workforce.

More importantly, a very pivotal development within the industrial relations sphere has been legislation designed to protect the rights of  Guyanese workers. Also, unions are more vocal as they demand better deals for their members.

In any society, even democratic ones, union negotiations with the governing administration for improved packages in respect of their members are never an easy process, with results often arrived at after much compromise from both sides. This spirit was displayed in the recent concluding of a multi-deal agreement for the next five years, between the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers Union. This strategy, happily pronounced on by both parties, may very well be the pathway to be taken by future unions in their quest for enhanced benefits for their members.
This multi-year strategy was also expounded on and lauded by President Bharrat Jagdeo when he addressed the annual May Day rally, two days ago,  of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), saying that Government continues to invest in people when, in other countries, social and other services are faced with cutbacks.

Speaking at the rally held at the National Park tarmac on Sunday, the president gave an overview of the worldwide dire economic situation, and how Guyana has, so far, been able to avert outright crisis through a raft of measures.

“First of all, I wish to thank FITUG for inviting me here today. I truly appreciate this wonderful gesture, particularly by an organisation that has grown in reputation over the years it has been in existence. An organisation that has consistently fought for the rights of all Guyanese, not just working Guyanese, and an organisation that continues to demonstrate the capacity to lead the trade union movement at this critical juncture of our history when most things are changing in the world, and we too are changing in Guyana. We are trying to create a modern economy that will satisfy the needs of our people,” the President said.
“Today the world is faced with one of the worst economic recessions since the 1930s; and as a consequence of this recession, millions of people have lost their jobs,” said President Jagdeo.
He spoke of the massive reductions in social welfare in many of the countries in Europe, as austerity measures kick in.
The president said that although things were bad in Guyana at one stage, the country never succumbed to the dictates of the International Monetary Fund, which said that public sector jobs must be reduced.
“We spend $3 billion a year on pensions, $1 billion on social assistance. We have launched a programme to give every schoolchild a free uniform; we have started a hot meals programme in schools. This is where we are going; when the other countries across the world and in the Caribbean [are going in the opposite direction,” said Jagdeo.
“We…have increased benefits to our people. The nature of our government is different, largely because of the struggles that we engaged in over the many years to enhance Guyanese rights. Although we have made a significant effort to increase wages, we still recognise that we have a long way to go. You will never hear any PPP leader claim that we are where we want to be,” he said.
“Wages and salaries have to grow with the economy and our economy is growing, and so our capacity to pay is increasing. But simultaneously we have always argued that it is not just wages and salaries that make a difference in the country. People need a whole range of other things to lead a productive and healthy life. So today, we budget over $24 billion for education,” he said.
He spoke of the recent launch of the education channel and its potential to lift learning opportunities for every Guyanese child and family.
“If they learn more, there would be the capacity to earn more in the future. Education provides that capacity especially in a knowledge-based economy,” he said. “We have made it clear that within a matter of two years, 90,000 of the poorest families will get a free computer from the government. We recognise computers would be the tool of the future. What is going to happen in this country if poor people’s children are left behind if they can’t afford computers,” he said.
The president said that other trade unions should take a leaf out of the book of the Guyana Teachers Union, which has been able to come together with government on a multi-year wage package.
“I wish to congratulate the Guyana Teachers Union. We have just concluded a multi-year agreement with the teachers’ union for five years, and part of that agreement has a wage rate, an allowance for housing where $40 million per year will go towards a revolving fund to ensure that teachers also get access to build houses, apart from that they can get in the banking system. It has 40 scholarships per year. This is very important, because it means that we are entering into a new mode, where, if we enter in together, we can make a big difference,” he said.
“The reason we concluded a five-year agreement is because we are confident that we can pay wage increases every single year, unlike most of those countries that have frozen wages. We are confident that the economy will continue to grow, our country will expand in the future because of all the initiatives that we have. I urge the other unions to look at this agreement and discuss something similar with us, where we can put wages negotiations on a more predictable footing,” the President said.
These improvements for the  benefit and comfort of the working class, are what the Father of Trade Unionism, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, would have welcomed.