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 »

From various accounts, Christians believe that the Christ Child, born in extra-ordinary poor-people, working-class surroundings, grew up to fill the prophesized role of Messiah.

Messiah, in one sense, refers to a liberator of the oppressed. May the spirit of the Christian Christ Child shine upon the hearts of all rulers, formal and informal authorities and, especially, Guyana’s managers and employers, so that they will see the light and wisdom of treating their workers and the less fortunate much better. Good governments and good employers can indeed become the Messiahs of the masses who are so frequently under stress and strain. Read the rest of this entry »

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the thousands of sugar workers it represents are sadly disappointed at the Award by the Gobind Ganga Arbitration Tribunal. The Tribunal, at a hurriedly summoned meeting on (Tuesday) 8th December, 2009, presented the Report of the Tribunal to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (Guysuco) at the Roof Garden of the Bank of Guyana. With respect to the wage/salary adjustment for this year (2009) the Report states “The Tribunal recommends an across the board increase of 3.0 per cent for 2009 which should be paid no later than the end of March, 2010.”

Indeed, sad days are ahead for the thousands of toiling, productive sugar workers. THE GOVERNMENT APPOINTED TRIBUNAL undoubtedly, in executing its special mandate, ignominiously transferred and embraced the three (3) per cent offer proposed by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) originally. GAWU sees this as an injustice of the highest order. To add insult to injury to the poor sugar workers, the sugar bosses have been given until 31st March, 2010 to pay the pittance.

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