THE Ministry of Labour has within its purview the responsibility for ensuring that all workers carry on their tasks in a safe and healthy environment while at the workplace. And during discussions with the private sector, the ministry was able to ascertain the need for them to move into the mining regions to ensure adherence to labour laws.
According to the Minister of Labour, Dr. Nanda Kishore Gopaul, the ministry is working on producing pamphlets in Chinese and Portuguese to give to foreign employers so that they too can understand Guyana’s labour laws.
Dr. Gopaul explained that Guyana has the most modern occupational health and safety legislation that was crafted with the help of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). That law was passed after consultation with the private sector, trade union bodies and a wide cross – section of the Guyanese population.
He explained that due to the comprehensiveness of the legislation, the ministry did not move to prosecute employers under the law; rather it allowed them a period to become au fait with the document.
The ministry is also working with the private sector and trade unions to help them better understand the law.
The system of industrial relations in Guyana is informed and influenced by international labour standards, as well as the regional labour policy of CARICOM, and functions within the national legislative framework.
The Constitution of Guyana, the labour laws, and ILO convention ratified by Guyana, provide the legal foundation and framework for the conduct of labour relations, by the government, its agencies, and the social partners represented by trade unions and employers and their organisations.