On the occasion of International Women’s Day, being celebrated on March 8th, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union Women Forum extends warm wishes to all working as well as non working women.

This year, International Women’s Day is celebrated under the theme “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All”. This theme aptly expresses the thoughts of Egyptian philosopher and writer, B. Boutros Ghali who wrote “the human race is a two winged bird – one wing is female, the other is male; unless both wings are equally developed, the human race will not be able to fly.” Read the rest of this entry »

How quickly these annual religious, festive and national celebrations seem to come around. Again, it is time for the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) to join the spirit of our Hindu community as it celebrates the joyous occasion of Holi, or Phagwah.

And how all encompassing is the holi Festival with its universal imagery, themes and symbolism! The dawning of Spring represents re-birth and rejuvenation of the fields of life and living; Holika fiery demise denotes the transcendency of all that is good over all that is bad; righteousness over evil intentions, greed and covetuousness. Read the rest of this entry »

We stated it in our Message to Muslim and all Guyana last year and its relevance bears repetition once more:

“The Holy Prophet Mohammed (On Whom Be Peace) founder of a faith that is the, reportedly, the fastest growing religion in the world, was a Messenger who fashioned a set of religious, spiritual and more principles to guide man-kind through the morass they often create for themselves. Islam reached discipline, devotion to a higher Creator and continuous consideration for the less fortunate amongst us. Those virtues all help to keep Believers strong and resilient to face life’s worldly woes”. Read the rest of this entry »

Forty years in the life of any nation certainly constitutes a period suitable for the citizens and their leaders and institutions to reflect, review and assess.

Four decades can indicate just how a country chartered a particular course to collective development, social progress or courted stagnation – or indeed, destruction.

That is why the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), the country’s largest workers bargaining unit, seeks to reflect upon the events within the last forty years, as Guyana observes the 40th Anniversary of its Republican status. GAWU’s congratulations are tempered by sober reflection initiated by the realities of progress mixed with national challenges and set-backs. Read the rest of this entry »

Cde Speaker, I rise to support this 2010 Budget, the 18th Budget of the PPP-C Administration since its historic victory at the polls on October 05, 1992 following the restoration of free, fair and transparent general and regional elections in our dear land. The budget which is presented under the theme:- “Consolidate, Transform, Sustain” reaffirms the administration’s overarching objectives of safeguarding our economy and our country, assuring continued economic growth, social development and further improvement in the lives of all Guyanese by implementing changes that would allow our country to be transformed into a truly modern and prosperous nation for which all Guyanese aspire. It is on these bases that the 2010 Budget was crafted. Since taking the reins of Government in 1992, the PPP-C Government has been unwavering in its pursuit of developing this nation and enhancing citizens’ standard of living. Numerous projects and programmes have been executed over the past eighteen (18) years and today, Cde Speaker, we can proudly say that our citizens enjoy a vast improvement in their quality of life as compared to two (2) decades ago. Indeed, the Government continues to be guided by the PPP-C election manifestos of 1992, 1997, 2001 and 2006 and to fulfill those manifestos’ commitments to ensure progress in our country. Read the rest of this entry »

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) on (Monday) February 15, 2010 has approved for the payment of six (6) days’ pay as Annual Production Incentive (API) to sugar workers for 2009 by the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (Guysuco).

The acceptance took place after the Corporation made what it termed “a final offer” of six (6) days’ pay or to have the matter referred to Arbitration.

The Union’s fifty (50) member delegation, in their private review, noted that the rank and file had reached an exhaustion point in their struggle for an acceptable number of days’ pay and their need for the incentive which ought to have been paid since mid last month, decided to accept the six (6) days’ pay.

Conciliatory proceedings between the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) for Annual Production Incentive (API) for 2009 under the Chairmanship of the Chief Labour Officer were declared deadlocked on January 21, 2010 with the Corporation concluding on an offer of 3½ days’ pay in counter to the Union’s claim of 8 days’ pay for the production of 233,735 tonnes sugar last year (2009). The Corporation decreased its offer from 4 days’ pay after the Union finally sought to have a settlement for 8 days’ pay. Read the rest of this entry »

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) will be advancing its workers education and training programmes with the establishment of the GAWU Labour College. The College is housed in the recently completed building adjacent to the Union’s Headquarters in High Street, Kingston, Georgetown.

The Union is also pleased to announce the appointment of Comrade Navin Chandarpal as the Principal of the GAWU Labour College. Comrade Chandarpal has been associated with GAWU’s Education Classes as a Lecturer since 1980 and had also lectured in the nineteen eighties in education programmes run by the Guyana Public Service Union and the Critchlow Labour College. Prior to his appointment as a Presidential Adviser, Comrade Chandarpal served for many years as a Secondary School Teacher, a Lecturer at the Cyril Potter College of Education and the University of Guyana. Read the rest of this entry »