General Secretary of the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF), Sue Longley has flagged the increasing use of contract workers in Guyana, even as she lobbied those in the budding Oil and Gas Sector to become unionized.
Longley – the first female General Secretary of the IUF – was among guest speakers at today’s opening of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) 22nd Delegates Congress at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).
She said the IUF has received complaints about the excessive use of contracted workers in Guyana.
“Globally, and we have to be honest about this, we are seeing a push back on workers rights. Sometimes, it is direct repression, sometimes, it is more subtle. And I have heard in the past couple of days, here in Guyana, about the impact of increasing use of contract labour, short term precarious contracts, and how these undermine us as trade unions, how they make it hard for us to recruit and organizers workers into unions,” the IUF General Secretary said.
Longley also made a case for workers operating in the Oil and Gas Sector.
She said as Guyana continues to experience unprecedented economic growth, questions remain as to when the benefits will be filtered down to Guyanese workers.
“For us as trade unions, the best way to ensure this, is through workers being organized into unions, who bargain fair wages and conditions. So, we welcome Government’s commitment to the Trade Union Movement…However, as the Global Union for workers in hospitality, we are particularly concerned that these new jobs that are being created at this very minute would be good jobs, union jobs, and jobs for the future,” she said.
Longley said the IUF will work with its affiliates in Guyana to ensure that the “new wealth” is equitably distributed, and that traditions sectors, like Agriculture, are protected.
It was noted that the IUF will work with GAWU to defend the rights of the working class across sectors.
Alluding to the theme for the 22nd Delegates’ Congress, “Advancing workers’ rights, economic progress, and social justice,” Longley said if unions do not have a strong presence in the Labour Industry, it would be unable to effectively defend workers, and advance their rights.
The IUF General Secretary also spoke of the need for greater representation of LGBTIQ and migrant workers, and the recruitment of workers.
President of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), Carvil Duncan, in his deliberations, also spoke of the work of GAWU in cultivating new leaders within the union.
“GAWU believes that in order for the Trade Union Movement to transform itself, to face the challenges that are forthcoming that education becomes a pivotal factor in everything they do. And how we can achieve that, is that we have to ensure that we prepare the young leaders to take over and to carry on the struggle,” Mr Duncan said.
Meanwhile, GAWU’s President Seepaul Narine, in his address, said since the change in administration in August 2020, workers in Guyana, particularly those in the Sugar Industry have been treated equally and fairly.
President Irfaan Ali; Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and Former President Donald Ramotar were among the other officials present.
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