By Naomi Marshall

– Region 10 workers urged to stay in the struggle for betterment

WORKERS of Region 10 were on Tuesday charged to remain in the struggle for betterment as members of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), Region 10 branch marched through the streets of Linden to observe Labour Day.

The parade saw the participation of public servants dressed in red who marched under the theme, “Advancing Solidarity- Promoting employment and decent work.”
The march commenced at the Wismar Municipal Market and ended at LICHAS Hall where a ceremony was held. Giving brief remarks was Chairman of Region 10 Rennis Morian, who stated that it is necessary for workers to know that persons would have lost their lives in the fight for betterment.

“Workers were killed, they were shot and strange enough the whole labour movement never started from the democratic position, it was the socialist and the communist that really started working for the betterment of labour.”

Morian noted that it is time for unions to become more creative. He recalled that when he was an employee in the Bauxite Industry in the 1980’s, the unions not only sought to fight for wages but they wanted to get better working conditions.
“One of the things they got from the government was a book voucher that each worker would take to any book store and cash it, so that our children could have books to go to school with,” Morian highlighted.

Morian is challenging the trade unions to “get some of the critical things that your agency could do for workers and make that your fight.”
Maurice Butters, Guyana Public Service Union Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) representative, stated that Region 10 has had “an ongoing struggle for not only wages and salaries but working conditions.”

According to Butters, a former school janitor of Linden died after developing a lung infection. He added that there is another school janitor who has fallen ill and “spends days in the hospital in intensive care because she too is suffering from the same pollution effect.”

Mortimer Livan, Coordinating Secretary of the Guyana Public Service Union charged the participants, “as we move forward, let us not forget where we came from. Let us remember our solidarity forever.”

In addition, awards were presented to five former public service workers who have contributed greatly to the environmental development. The awardees were Evan Drakes, Winston Luke and Dennis Parkinson. The Regional Democratic Council, Region 10 also received an award for having the largest turn out.