THE Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) extends warm greetings to all Guyanese, at home and abroad, as we commemorate 59 years as an independent nation, a journey defined by the unrelenting will of a people determined to govern themselves with dignity, justice, and self-determination.

The GPSU embraces the national theme, “Guyana: A Future of Unity and Progress,” as both an aspiration and a responsibility.
We must recognise that without genuine national unity, grounded in respect, justice, and inclusion, all that we have achieved positively since independence in 1966 can be undermined.
Our internal division weakens collective resolve at a time when Guyana’s sovereignty is threatened. Guyana’s firm stance against Venezuela’s unfounded claim to a large portion of our country’s resources and, by extension, its people demands that we stand together.

Unity is not optional, it is essential to defending our borders, our dignity, and our future.
On May 26, 1966, Guyana proudly raised its Golden Arrowhead and stepped onto the world stage as an independent nation.
More than a flag, the Golden Arrowhead embodies the essence of who we are.

Its bold colours represent our vast forests, mineral wealth, mighty rivers, and the courage, endurance, and perseverance of our people. It is not merely a national emblem; it is a promise to future generations and a pledge to protect the values for which our fore-parents fought.

The road to independence was neither short nor easy. It was paved by the unwavering leadership of Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham and Cheddi Bharrat Jagan, along with the invaluable contributions of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, the Father of Trade Unionism in Guyana, and many other trade unionists.

Though they came from different racial and ideological backgrounds, they shared a common vision for a free, just, and united Guyana.
Supporting that vision were thousands of Civil Servants (Public Servants) nurses, doctors, engineers, surveyors, teachers, clerks, technicians, law-enforcement officers, and revenue workers,

who kept the machinery of the colonial state functioning, even as they were denied justice. In the shadow of the empire, they laid the groundwork for nationhood.
Founded on June 8, 1923, the Guyana Public Service Union preceded the birth of our independent nation by 43 years. Born out of necessity, it became the voice of the voiceless, advocating for fair and equal treatment of Guyanese workers, in stark contrast to the privileges afforded to expatriates.

The GPSU evolved not merely as a labour organiation, but as a pillar of resistance, a platform for advocacy and a partner in governance. It helped shape a professional, modern Public Service and continues to fight for the dignity and rights of workers throughout Guyana.

Notably, the Public Service must be permitted to discharge its functions consistent with constitutional requirements.
Through decades of representation and negotiation, the union has fought for fair wages, improved working conditions, regulated working hours, and allowances; challenged discriminatory labour practices, advanced the professionalisation of the Public Service and participated in national development as a strategic partner, not as a bystander

Today, the GPSU represents a broad cross-sections of Guyana’s public sector, including doctors, nurses, and caregivers safeguarding public health, state lawyers and legal officers upholding justice, revenue officers, auditors, and customs staff ensuring fiscal integrity, air traffic controllers and immigration officers protecting our borders, Geology and Mines workers advancing sustainable resource development alongside educators, administrators, technical personnel and countless others

These workers are not merely employees of the state, they are the lifeblood of national development, the guardians of our democracy and the silent architects of progress.
As one of the oldest and most resilient institutions in Guyana, the GPSU reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that progress is people-centred, that workers’ rights are protected, and that public service remains a cornerstone of democracy and national development.

To every Public Servant and worker, from hospitals to schools, courtrooms to borders, mining fields to administrative offices, factories, farms, and urban or rural centres, we recognise your hard work and contributions and we salute you. Your labour is the light that never went out, not during colonialism, not during crisis, and not during division. You are the enduring stewards of Guyana’s democracy.

Let this 59th independence anniversary inspire us to reflect deeply, act boldly, and live with integrity, in full alignment with this year’s theme: “Guyana: A Future of Unity and Progress” and our national motto: “One People. One Nation. One Destiny.”