Part 2
Those who control the world’s economy are proving incapable of solving the most dangerous problems of our times because their aim continues to be world domination so their corporations can continue to earn colossal profits. They seem oblivious to the sufferings and loss of human lives.
Let’s take for instance the war raging in Ukraine. The tragedy of this is that it was totally avoidable. All that was needed was to recognize Russia’s valid and legitimate security concerns.
But Ukraine is not the only catastrophe in the world. The flood disasters in South Sudan, the war in Tigre, Ethiopia are creating untold miseries for people who have so little.
The Trade Union Movement should join with progressive forces locally, regionally and internationally to demand disarmament and Peace in our world. No one is safe on our planet with such destructive weapons in the hands of unscrupulous people.
We need world leaders who are serious about peace and who are ready to take concrete measures for peace. This is the first indispensable step towards solving the Global issues.
Fortunately, workers, farmers and ordinary folks are fighting back. Unfortunately, much of those fights back are not or are only barely reported by the main stream media.
I have not seen many reports of the railway strike in the UK, or the massive protests of farmers in the Netherlands, or about the strike by truckers in Canada nor the massive protests by farmers in India, supported by the Trade Unions in India that caused the Indian Government to withdraw a law which it had passed late in the day almost in the dark.
So comrades, there is hope when we take justified actions to defend our class interests and the common interests of all the world’s oppressed. We can do more if we build stringer solidarity. After all a victory of workers in any country is our victory as well.
Local Situation
Let me now draw your attention to the many problems that have been and are affecting our movement at home. As you must be aware we have many problems and challenges. Some of these are similar and even connected to the International Trades Union Movement.
The theme that you have chosen for this conference offers you a great approach to discussing these issues and hopefully to assist you to chart a course in confronting them.
One of these is the fall in the membership of the Trade Unions here and abroad. Some of the reasons are common and universal. The fact is that science and technologies are displacing labor at a faster rate than before and the creation of new jobs which economists say will develop with new technologies, are lagging and not catching up in a timely manner.
Some are caused by the fact that many of the new workers do not see themselves as workers. Many in the tech industry still see themselves as something else. These are highly educated workers but their consciousness lags behind their actual place in the system of production.
Another common problem is the division of the working class and Trades Union movement both at home and abroad.
I hope that you will use your links to the various internationals to propagate and pursue unity of the various centers in the world. You must seek alliances in the region and abroad. It is division that is retarding our struggles.
At home you have greater scope to promote working class unity. In the first place I wish to point out that we have in this country thousands of workers that are unorganized. Those workers are exploited and have hardly any representation.
This is an area where the movement as a whole should concentrate on. All our unions should seriously interrogate this matter; seek cooperation and not competition to bring the unorganized into your ranks.
This is imperative since our country is attracting a lot of investments in almost all sectors of our economy. Many that are coming could be hostile to unions. We have to ensure that the workers who they would employ must have the right to join a trade union. The Ministry of Labor must make that clear to all new local and foreign investors. The Trade Union Movement must make this a priority.
I recall that it was not until Cheddi Jagan became President of Guyana that Omai recognized a trade union because the then PPP/Civic Government took an uncompromising position on that issue.
We must uphold that tradition. This is one issue you should raise with government. Preventing workers from joining a union is a human rights question and employers must be aware of that!
Unions must seek alliances at home, even merging to increase your strength and we must take the lead in uniting the Trade Unions in the Caribbean.
That is why I am supportive of the GAWU’s initiative in seeking alliance with the Oil Field Workers Union of Trinidad and Tobago. Other unions and their umbrella bodies should do the same.
I know that the GAWU came in for some criticism from one of the Private Sector organizations. It was rather ironic. After all, many private sector companies are very busy making alliances with the new entrants from abroad.
We even have foreign Chambers of Commerce here all working with their local counter parts. Yet objections and opposition are made when workers organizations seek to unite.
The most important and immediate issue is the unity of our trade union movement. Comrades and friends speaking frankly the Private Sector are much more united than labor and they are wielding great influence in our society.
They are even called upon to help formulate policies. That is how influential they are because they are better organized.
On the other hand, labor has grown weaker. The reasons for this must be sought and dealt with. Merely appealing for unity is not enough we must create the conditions for it to become a reality.
Your theme offers us the way to seek the truth and to chart a course for solutions.
