—President Ali says as GAWU commemorates its 50th Anniversary
Defending the government’s continued support for the sugar industry, President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Thursday reminded that it was the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s (PPP/C) administration throughout the years that has stood firmly with workers across the sector, resuscitating production and supporting communities that were once left in economic peril.
The Head of State, while addressing the Guyana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) 50th Anniversary held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, lambasted opposition parliamentarians, who would have critiqued the government’s investments in the sector.
“You had leaders who go to the parliament and say investment is sugar, is wasting money. We say investment in sugar is investing in the livelihood and lives of tens of thousands of Guyanese families, cannot be wasted upon,” he said, adding: “So in your 50 years of history, you must recognise the fact that sugar is alive today.”
He noted too that GAWU’s role is no longer confined solely to representing sugar workers. It has expanded its reach and encompasses a broad spectrum of the working class.
This evolution, the President said, reflects both necessity and vision in an era when trade unionism has declined, not only here in the Caribbean, but across the world. GAWU, he said, has remained relevant, resilient and responsible.
GAWU has defended workers’ dignity, wages, and humane conditions since 1976, becoming a symbol of resilience and freedom in Guyana. Today’s celebration was held under the theme ‘Born of struggle built for justice’.
