…GTUC’s Lewis urges in Labour Day address
…says economic, political transformation key in Post-COVID-19

GUYANA is in the throes of what may be its worst combination of a global pandemic and political challenges ever, but the country must build on its experience to foster economic, political and social transformation post-COVID-19, General Secretary of the Guyana Trade Union Conference (GTUC), Lincoln Lewis said as he ushered in Labour Day.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) hit Guyana on March 11, 2020, at a time when it was desperately trying to manoeuver through uncharted waters after the electoral process encountered a number of stumbling blocks, which landed Elections Officials in Court.

Since then, there have been 82 confirmed cases, inclusive of nine deaths, and in an attempt to flatten the curve, the Government of Guyana, as was done in other parts of world, implemented a menu of emergency measures, including the closure of non-essential businesses, and a 6pm-to- 6am curfew. Some industries have ground to a halt, and, undoubtedly, the impact would be felt on the country’s economy.

These challenges, Lewis said, come at a time when the country is on the verge of an economic turnaround, due to the budding Oil-and-Gas Industry. They must be overcome, he said, and Guyana must learn from them.

HARNESS THE CHALLENGES
“Post-coronavirus, we must harness these challenges to effectively function and compete in a global society. We must harness them to lift the standards of our working class, and we must be able to do this in a manner that does not discriminate, if we are to succeed as a nation. Cash transfers will definitely help in times like now, and post-COVID-19. Families need relief, and the most vulnerable amongst us are desperately in need,” the veteran trade unionist said in a statement on Thursday.

Lewis said there need not be further social decay amongst those whose livelihood is already at its weakest. It was at this juncture that Lewis, on behalf of the GTUC, called on the Government and the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) to hasten its support to those most vulnerable.

Turning his attention to the country’s political status quo, the trade unionist said that undoubtedly, the 2020 Elections have demonstrated how ethnically divided the country is. “It is obvious what is being perpetrated clearly indicates there exists deep suspicion and intolerance between the two major races. Even as we acknowledge the apparent concerns and conflict between these two forces, the interest and well-being of all racial groups are of equal importance,” he said, while warning that none will be spared the impact of such conflict, should the concerns of both sides not be addressed forthwith.

He warned, however, that the reduction of ethnic tensions and insecurities will simply not be achieved through the vague notion of a government of national unity, formed on the pretext of executive power-sharing, where the presidency is given to the party with the plurality of the vote, and the prime-minister to the party with the second highest.

POWER-SHARING CALLS
“Such calls often represent nothing more than a desperate bid to limit executive power to whoever is in control of this branch of government; it is nothing more than a simplistic approach to addressing our political system of inclusion, mandated by the Guyana Constitution as per Article 13, but, sadly, not given the fullest effect by those who have power to so do through our legislative arm, even when they have control of parliament,” the GTUC General Secretary said.

It was noted that at the Regional and Local Government levels, there is devolution of political power manifest in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)’s current control of six Democratic Regions as opposed to the A Partner for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC)’s four. The PPP/C also shares control of Local Authorities, he further pointed out.

According to Lewis, it is time that Guyana stop the misrepresentation of its democracy and governance, and hold to account those who fail to utilise the Constitution to enact supportive laws to deepen institutions where these can be more manifest.

BEYOND LIP SERVICE
“Both sides must move beyond lip service and work together regardless of the distribution of power to deepen our democracy. Government must not see itself as having all the power to do as it pleases without accountability and the Opposition must do its job not to create anarchy and bring turmoil to this country but to ensure that the people are better served by good programs and policies. We have a democratic system of our own created post Republican status in an era when politicians were more driven by service to the nation than service to self and a few corrupt friends,” he stated.

Guyanese, he underscored, must guard against those who constantly seek to misrepresent the Constitution in their quest to serve their own interest. “We must recognise the importance of guarding it by the very fact of how difficult the framers have made its change possible. Already we see how the opportunity to corrupt is ever present in the minds of some politicians, more so when they demonstrate no will, and fail to even attempt enacting the necessary legislation to give meaning to articles of the constitution,” he said.
As a leader of the working class, Lewis said it is their duty to demand what is constitutionally theirs.

BEWARE FALSE PROMISES
Speaking directly to the working class, the trade unionists said don’t be fooled by false promises, as he challenged them to hold the country’s leaders accountable. “We must not be misled by loud voices, by titles, by media, by threats, nor by those who seek to make us impotent in our responses by shaming us with lies and misrepresentation of who we are based on our looks, political and other associations. We are seeing efforts at this right now in our society. We do not want it! We cannot develop, nor live in peace as a nation under such conditions, and we open the doors for our country to be taken advantage of by predatory forces of all sorts, who seek to exploit our wealth and divide,” Lewis cautioned.

He urged workers to become knowledgeable of the socio-political situation, and critical of those who use wealth and influence to create an alternate reality. Workers of Guyana, he iterated, desire social, political and economic transformation, and should not settle for less. “They want to see systems put in place now, that would provide the assurance needed,” Lewis said, while positing that the time is ripe for the country’s leaders to conceptualise and develop an indigenous programme, aimed at empowering every region and all their citizens.

The programme, he added, must see the establishment of laws to strengthen the regional system and re-investment in each region from the revenue garnered from the exploitation of the unique resources of each region. Revenue from oil and gas must be targeted to improve of service sectors such as healthcare, education, Internet, disaster preparedness, he added.

Last year March, GTUC submitted a 19-point proposal to President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, intended at realising a more inclusionary form of government which is critical to social cohesion, economic parity and national unity.