Written By Vanessa Narine
GUYANA’s overall development is inextricably linked to the development of the Guyanese people, moreso the working class; but this development is being hindered by the play of “blackmail politics” by Opposition factions, according to President Donald Ramotar.

In his address to delegates at the opening of the Seventh Triennial Congress of the Guyana Labour Union (GLU), yesterday, in the Conference Room of the Regency Suites in Georgetown, President Ramotar stressed that such actions by the Opposition have far-reaching implications for the nation, and will undermine democracy in the long term.

Citing the continued delay in passing the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) Bill, a legislation that, if not passed before November, could see Guyana’s financial services sector facing sanctions, President Ramotar explained that these sanctions could affect everything, from financing for businesses to the remittances sent home to Guyanese from abroad.

The President said this Bill is of national interest, and its passage should be seen as a national duty. “The Congress should deliberate these impediments (to) development,” the President declared.

The Head of State maintained that the GLU has always been at the forefront of major struggles in Guyana’s history, and he urged the current executive and membership to hold fast to that tradition.

He lauded the GLU leadership for recognising the link between national development and welfare of the working class, in particular.
CHALLENGES
The President added that the congress’s two-day session comes at a time when there are many challenges facing workers.

He maintained that it cannot be business as usual, as many people are still “trapped in difficulties”, resulting from the challenges facing not only Guyana, but the entire world, as a result of integrated economies. “We have to think of the future,” President Ramotar said.

He said that future progress, development of both country and countrymen, depends on generation of cheap and renewable energy through hydropower, a project the Government is committed to seeing through; development of the agriculture and manufacturing sectors; and technological advancement.

The Head of State maintained that these initiatives would go towards strengthening the economy and, by extension, improving the welfare of the Guyanese people.

In yesterday’s proceedings, membership of the Guyana Labour Union conferred the Critchlow Medal on President Ramotar.
BUDGET CUTS
GLU President Winston Joseph echoed similar sentiments in his remarks to congress delegates.

He touched on the 2013 budget cuts and maintained that such actions are not in the interest of the workers’ prosperity, but are reflective of “cheap political” interests.

“This warrants consideration,” Joseph said.

He declared that partisan politics must be replaced by a collaborative approach which would see much more being accomplished for the country and its people.

GLU Assistant General Secretary, Camille Reid, reiterated Joseph’s statements and called the cuts “unjustified slashes” that are an obstacle to development. “Anyone who deprives workers of prosperity is no friend of the workers,” she said.

Reid made it clear that GLU’s history speaks for itself, and the union would stand resolutely, ten thousand strong, to ensure that workers’ rights are protected.

Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul pointed out that the GLU is fast approaching its one-hundredth-year anniversary, and he said it is a credit to GLU leaders and membership that the union remains vibrant.

He said that, at the end of the day, the role of the union comes down to highlighting the suffering of the workers, protecting the rights of the workers, and supporting the development of the nation.
ENGAGEMENT
President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Clinton Urling, said the private sector views the GLU and all unions as partners, particularly since both depend on workers’ survival.

He called for the trend of cooperation to be continued, and urged the union to undertake future engagement with private sector organisations, even as he called for dismissal of the view that the private sector and unions do not share a common goal.

He also maintained that the storied history of the GLU has left an indelible mark on the social, economic and political fabric of Guyana.

The Guyana Labour Union (GLU), previously known as the British Guiana Labour Union (BGLU), emerged as a labour union amongst black dockworkers. It was founded in 1919; and, as of 1928, the organisation claimed to have 1,073 members, of whom 341 were women. Guyana’s first labour union, although not the first trade union in the Caribbean region, the GLU was the first union to be legally registered in the Caribbean, and was led by the famous Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow.