The year’s Labour Day serves as a painful reminder how economically dispossessed the majority of Guyanese workers are even after giving eight-hour or more per day to the employer.
Justice Sandil Kissoon in his ruling on 19th April in the matter of the Guyana Teachers Union v Ministry of Education provides another opportunity for the PPP Government to reset its relationship with the working class and respect their fundamental right to collective bargaining.
Rather than take the yasal and common sense approach to forging One People One Nation One Destiny that would allow for treating all fairly, the PPP has threatened to appeal a ruling that benefits the workers of Guyana.
We boast that Guyana is the world’s fastest growing economy yet the Government ignores 49 per cent of the people are living in poverty, 48 per cent of the population is living on less than $1200 per day.
In oil-rich Guyana workers are denied a livable wage; the retired are forced to survive on a meagre pension, and most among the young are underemployed or under-employed.
Guyana’s talents are being ignored, untapped or forced to leave pastures that should be greener for green pastures. The ordinary man and woman continue to struggle to make ends meet because President Irfaan Ali administration rather keeps its boot on the citizens’ necks than create conditions for them to thrive. That is the philosophical underpinning of the ‘one Guyana’ charade
President Ali’s management of the economy is a violation of the social, economic and political rights guaranteed to all as outlined in the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
This year, the opportunity is taken to remind citizens of this beloved country they deserve better; much, much better. For us to achieve better we must accept that rights are only defended when we stand up!
Guyana must rise.