THE government must brace itself for a very hostile, rocky and challenging period ahead. It must oil its public relations machinery well and make the right and tough decisions that will determine Guyana’s socioeconomic development in the future.
Recently, we saw the court ruling in the case of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) versus the government. The court ruling favoured the arguments put forward by the GTU. Despite this ruling, the government, through Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has already said it will appeal the decision because the government does not believe it must pay striking teachers for no work done, and being part of an illegal strike. The government is still waiting for the High Court Judge to issue his written ruling for close to a month now and then it can properly appeal the ruling.

While the government is unfairly waiting with its hands tied, the GTU seems to be emboldened by its recent judicial success. It called for teachers to strike again, saying that negotiations were moving at a snail’s pace and they were not getting anywhere. The government has called GTU back to the negotiating table but the GTU refuses to call off the strike. It wants to have a discussion with the government while teachers are away from work. Not only is this ludicrous, but the GTU wants the government to pay teachers an increase that covers as far back as 2019.
The government has signalled its unwillingness to do what the GTU wants and has written to the Ministry of Labour asking for the conciliation level to swiftly commence. Even at this stage, the union has unreasonable conditions and refuses to call off the strike.

Tomorrow afternoon, both sides will talk about this issue but the government must decide how much longer it will take the bullish, unwarranted and unreasonable behaviour of GTU. After all, teachers deserve more pay and their case is somewhat justifiable but the GTU is hijacking this case and using the teachers for politics and the optics.
The GTU is seeking to force the government’s hands on one end, and its leadership is seeking to score political points out of the continued impasse or fallout. The government must make tough decisions on this matter because it could face a crisis that is already brewing.

That crisis will reach its boiling point in the industrial relations arena in Guyana.
Enter the sleeping giant, the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) into the fray. Recall, it had two months ago given the government an ultimatum that it could strike if negotiations break down. Well, the GPSU is planning to call on its members soon to strike against the government because it is allegedly not following the proper way of handling collective bargaining. The government must be careful and treat the union with care because it can ill afford to have public servants and teachers on the road.

Though it might be political, the government must make an informed decision about what, when and how it can meet the unions’ demands without hurting the economy and treasury which they seemingly think has limitless funds.
It must be smart because there is a wider political plot to make Guyana ungovernable and divide the country. It starts with the strikes in the labour sector and then spills over to crime and justice always.

So, the government must be tough with the opposition personalities and unions to avoid chaos and a catastrophic climate in Guyana. It must make sober-minded decisions that it can stand on or it will fall prey to the opposition’s whisper campaigns and lies.
That aside, the government must be wary of the private and independent media in Guyana. Trends seem to suggest that though it is doing a remarkable job and accomplishing the manifesto promises, it seems to sensationalise and highlight the negative. The so-called independent media takes the few and are blowing them out of context and proportion with very biased opinions, letters, news and fake news.

Kaieteur News, for example, has no credibility and every month or two is caught apologising for publishing lies and errors. Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo cannot deal with the independent media alone and the government must tighten the areas where it is slacking. If it is said that 2025 elections are going to be fought on social media, then government PR and information must be taken to this medium fast.

It must invest more resources into the state media and the Department of Public Information making their work must easier. The party must do so too and retain the best PR to counter the narrative and propel certain narratives.
Then, there is Venezuela’s unjustifiable and unfounded claim to Guyana’s territory.

The government must remain vigilant and ever watchful of Maduro’s shenanigans and actions. The government must not trust him and his administration because he has proven that he will say one thing and sign today to it, and turn around and disregard it altogether tomorrow. Serious decisions must be made here as well.
The government will go through a tough period this year but will come out of it, stronger and better than before if it makes the right decisions and gives the right medicine at the right time.