NAACIE, GAWU to continue boycott of May Day rally
Stabroek News
April 26, 2003
The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) will only join in the formal May 1 march around the city and like last year will hold its own rally at the National Insurance Scheme ground, Carifesta Avenue.
The National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) has meanwhile again opted not to participate at all in the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC)-sponsored event.
Deep-seated differences between the umbrella GTUC and GAWU and NAACIE have over the last few years led to them refusing to share the same platform at the May Day rally in the National Park.
GAWU and NAACIE, two of the largest unions, have been repeatedly calling for the amendment of the TUC rules to allow for what they say is a greater degree of democracy and equity in the organisation.
Reached by Stabroek News yesterday, GAWU General Secretary, Komal Chand said the position was being taken because the two sides had not had any discussion about the holding of a common rally and as their differences continued they had opted to continue the boycott.
Questioned on progress in relation to discussions between the sides, Chand said that there had been no communication between the unions and the umbrella body for over a year and no agenda had been set to address any of their differences.
GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis at a press briefing on Thursday to announce preparations for the May 1 event had said that the umbrella body's function was only to organise the event but rather it was the duty of its affiliates to have their members participate.
NAACIE in a press release yesterday said that its non-participation was a decision taken by its executive and was to register its disgust over what it viewed as the disorganised nature of the labour movement.
The decision, according to the release, was based on what it said is the undemocratic manner in which the GTUC is being operated.
It said terms discussed and agreed since 2001 between the parties have yet to be implemented by the GTUC to secure national cohesion between the workers of the large unions.
It called on all labour leaders to explain what happened to the agreement between NAACIE and GAWU and the GTUC signed on January 17, 2001.
