WORKING people can be proud of the achievements made over the years, according to Head of State, President Donald Ramotar, who yesterday declared that as Guyana celebrates its 55th May Day Anniversary

under the theme ‘Towards Workers Rights and Rewards’, there must be a greater unification of the fractured trade union movement in Guyana.
Ramotar told the several hundreds gathered at the National Park of the Annual May Day Rally that there must, as a matter of urgency, be a greater working together of organised labour.
The President insisted that just as how democracy is alive in the country in general, this too must be reflected in the leadership of Union Umbrella bodies’, particularly the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC).
The President said workers must band together to move the impediments hindering progress and also would need to press the GTUC to democratise its leadership.
The rally held at the National Park annually saw a less than impressive turnout over previous years and the President addressed a number of topical issues including wages and salaries, crime in society as well as the recent parliamentary fallout over the 2013 Budget and the draconian cuts inflicted by the Opposition on the budgetary allocations for several crucial developmental projects.

OUR BROTHER’S KEEPER
President Ramotar’s sentiment on crime in society came days after a police rank was brutally murdered in a hail of bullets on Avenue of the Republic while two others were injured in the shooting.
“We have to be our brother’s keeper in this country,” he said, adding that it is a well-known fact that “the many illegal weapons in our society spur a lot of crime.”
According to the President, all and sundry have to play their role in the “struggle to give all our people security…therefore it is important that we don’t have a market for big drugs here.”
On this note, the President urged the hundreds of workers present for the rally to stick true to the “tried and tested principle of solidarity, to try to end the scourge.”
On wages and salaries, Mr. Ramotar said he is cognizant of the calls for greater increases and the administration is sympathetic even as it continuously seeks to improve the conditions of workers in the country.
According to Mr. Ramotar, what also has to be borne in mind are the non-wages benefits, and alluded to the massive investments in the social, health and education sectors of society over the years.
The President reminded that two decades ago, Guyana’s ranking in the Caribbean Region on the education scale had slipped to the lowest levels, but over the years this has changed for the better, with Guyana once again securing the top results in the Region.
Over the past two years, Guyanese students topped the Caribbean Region when examination results were declared.

JUDGE US BY HOW WE INVEST
“If you want to judge us, judge us by how we spend our money,” according to the President, as he underscored the massive investments in the social sectors which he said directly affect the lives of ordinary people everywhere.
Ramotar said that in the development of any country, the most important factor is how its natural resources are developed and said that people constitute the greatest such resource to Guyana.
“It is important that we invest in our people and education is the best way,” the President said.
According to him, this is also applicable to the working class of people in charting the course of self-advancement.

BAFFLED PRESIDENT
On the sore issue of the recent Budget Cuts where more than $31B was slashed from the nation’s expenditure for 2013, the President vowed that he will be doing everything possible to restore the cuts.
The cuts he said have, “baffled the hell out of me.”
The President said he will not allow the cuts to affect the people of the country and spoke to what he called ridiculous positions being proffered on the part of the political Opposition.
Mr. Ramotar also alluded to the $19B that had been cut that relates to Guyana’s equity to the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project, with at least one political party suggesting that it will not release the money until the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approves its loan to the project.
This is an argument that cannot hold any water, according to the President, who reminded that the budget itself represents expenditure for monies the nation has planned as inflows.
“If they use that then we should throw the whole budget out until we collect all the money….this obviously makes no sense” said Ramotar and suggested that the Opposition, “obviously have other motives.”
Ramotar says that it is known that one significant impediment to Guyana’s development as a nation lies in the unavailability of cheap energy.
He said that with the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric project in place not only will there be cheaper access to electricity by the average consumer but it will also serve to foster the atmosphere, “to develop strong manufacturing and processing sectors and move our country from being a low middle-income to high middle-income and developed status in future…why would anyone want to cut a programme like that, it baffles the hell out of me.”

LOGIC
He again questioned the logic behind the cut to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Expansion project and suggested that as far back as 1994 countries as far as South Africa had indicated an interest in landing flights in Guyana.
This, he said, could not have been achieved given the capacity constraints at the current airport.
President Ramotar asked also why cut the allocation for the airport project when “we talk a lot about our tourism potential” and reminded also that the airport will serve as a significant revenue stream for the nation.
“We are at a stage today where these projects are the launching pads to take us into the future,” according to the President.
He said that outside of heading to the courts to have the monies restored to the Budget, he is also open to “talking with the Opposition in the hope they will remove the prejudices from their mind.”
President Ramotar used the opportunity yesterday to remind that while the Opposition has, on a number of occasions, accused the administration of not consulting, “I personally invited them.”

CORRUPTION
The President said the Opposition has, for many years, bandied the corruption slogan and reminded that he has released every bit of information on all of the privatisation deals undertaken by his government.
“It’s comical sometimes,” suggested Mr. Ramotar, “when you look at what has happened.”
The President also took a swipe at sections of the media that has screamed ‘corruption’ while in the very newspaper information can be found that has been supplied by government such as the advertisements for the various projects.
“We want partners,” said Ramotar adding that he is looking for partners that have the best interest of the country at heart.
“Let us try to work together in order to advance our country to make it a better place,” he appealed.
The President said that it is of utmost importance for “the (political) parties to meet together and talk and end the misery being inflicted on other people.”

*** PHOTO saved in Graphics file as: Ramotar Labour 5