PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar had the opportunity of meeting and engaging with Head of the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Office for the Caribbean, Dr. Giovanni di Cola, when the latter called on him last week Friday at his office on New Garden Street, Bourda. 

Here for the just-concluded meeting of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COSHOD), Dr. di Cola and members of his delegation seized the opportunity to have discussions with the President and some Ministers of Government on relevant labour issues.

Among those officials were Labour Minister, Dr. Nanda K. Gopaul and Human Services and Social Security Minister, Ms. Jennifer Webster, as well as Chief Labour Officer, Mr. Charles Ogle, and Senior Labour Officer, Mr. Prandatt Basdeo.
Those on Dr diCola’s team were Mr. Rainer Pritzer, Senior Specialist, Social Dialogue and Labour Administration; Mr. Reynold Simons, Senior Specialist, Employment and Labour Market Policies; Ms. Paula Robinson, Senior Specialist, Workers Activities; and Ms. Anne Knowles, Senior Specialist, Employers Activities.
While here, Dr. di Cola commended Guyana for the successful implementation of the School Retention ILO/TACKLE Project, which targetted school children for increased attendance and performance at schools, thereby eliminating child labour.
He was quoted as saying that “Thanks to Guyana, the project was particularly successful in the Caribbean… The collaboration was even good during the challenges.”