Fellow Guyanese,
Guyana‟s ‘Year for Workers’ must dawn 1st January 2014. This country‟s economic future lies in their hands. Many of our working people, however, are underemployed and unhappy and are not as productive as they could be. Workers face unsatisfactory labour relations in the sugar and min-ing industries and in the public and private sectors. Artisanal fisherfolk, craftsmen, small farmers and miners found themselves in difficult circumstances during 2013. Life must be better for all in 2014.
Guyana‟s ‘Year for Workers‟ must be one in which our working people should be able to look forward to a good life. It should be one in which they could look forward to living in safety, to working for „living wages‟ to cope with the cost of living and to enjoying adequate social protection in their old age.
Guyana‟s ‘Year for Workers‟ must be one in which workers can feel free to join trade unions of their choice; in which collective bargaining agreements between their employers and their unions will be respected and in which the state will enforce labour laws fairly but firmly to protect them from adversity and from delinquent employers.
Let us, therefore, make the new year – 2014 – Guyana‟s ‘Year for Workers’ as we all work to-gether towards providing “a good life for all Guyanese.”
My best wishes for a happy new year to everyone!
APNU AT WORK
A WEEKLY SUMMARY OF EVENTS
KEEPING THE DIASPORA INFORMED
December 21 – December 27, 2013
Vol. 23
