It is important to take this opportunity, on the occasion of the 88th Anniversary of the Guyana Public Service Union to briefly highlight some major obstacles which the Union faces today and its goals for the future.The maintenance of sound and stable labour relations forms the basis for Guyanese economic and social development, and therefore while the Union has made endless efforts to stabilize relations with leading factions, this feature remains a sore thumb.

Particularly in recent years, the environment surrounding labour and management has been changing drastically, with less agreements and more disregard to the governing principles of labour. In order to deal adequately with such changes in social, economic and political conditions, it is necessary for both labour bodies and government to first recognize their responsibilities to workers and then work towards settling disagreements through dialogue, based on a spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation. That achieved, work towards new and improved conditions becomes less onerous.The Guyana Public Service Union was founded on basic fundamental principles of fair and equitable treatment for all, the pursuit of social and economic justice and decent work as advocated by the International Labour Organisation among other principles.

Nonetheless, the Union has been challenged in its endeavor to uphold: free and collective bargaining, security of tenure, fair and equitable treatment for all workers, guarantee of due process, a living wage, adequate and realistic allowances, guarantee for conditions of work and benefits that were negotiated and/or implemented and a work environment free from political and racial discrimination. The Union often encounters much double standards when defending workers rights, but despite the many difficulties and injustices we suffer, our foundation is solid and intact. Looking ahead, the Guyana Public Service Union anticipates that its relationship with employers and the government at large improves for the good of the nation. Labour rights protection are being undermined as workers are seeing permanent, regular jobs being replaced by contract labour and temporary, unstable work. These workers are subject to unstable employment, lower wages and more dangerous working conditions.

The Union will therefore heighten efforts to make those workers aware of their right to fair conditions of service and also their right to be protected by the brotherhood of the Union.Ultimately, the goal of the Union is to empower and challenge as much workers as possible to embrace their rights as human beings first and then pay closer attention to their rights as workers. Rights which include job safety, collective bargaining, equal pay for equal work and an environment healthy and free from racism, sexism and discrimination. In this way we achieve our primary goal to strengthen and improve the standard of living and our country as a whole.In the words of a great civil rights activist: Martin Luther King Jr- “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”To all members of the Guyana Public Service Union, Happy Anniversary!