Happy fifty-seventh Independence Anniversary, Guyana! As a people, it is our desire to improve the quality of our lives and our relationships with each other. This was manifested in the National Motto of unanimous consent, “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”.
But over these post-Independence years, the real fruits or true value of our labours still seem beyond our mortal reach. The absence of a living wage, evenhandedness, and real employment opportunities are stumbling blocks to betterment, coupled with the cost-of-living juggernaut that is relentless and unforgiving…
The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has, for decades, reminded Governments of the need to have a national policy on wages and salaries, and for the minimum wage to be upwardly reviewed… On the discovery of oil, one would have thought that the opportunity would have been seized to rectify the age-old imbalances in wages, salaries and allowances, in order to create a new era for the working class, but this proved to be nothing more than wishful thinking…
On this point, President Ali was quoted in a Guyana Chronicle report of February 21, 2023 as uttering the following words during an engagement with Guyanese in The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, viz: “And that is what I’ve been working on; creating this ‘One Guyana’ in which we build a system that delivers prosperity for every single Guyanese and every single Guyanese family.” “This, for me, is the important project, changing the mindset, changing the way we relate to each other, community by community, household by household. And I assure you I will not rest until this country is unified.”
The GPSU, because of its interests in national unity as a necessary basis of national development and the harmonious existence of Guyanese with each other, had always advocated that Government should take the lead towards bridging the racial divide. As such, the GPSU dispatched a letter to President Ali on March 2, 2023 indicating its willingness to partner with him “…on the journey towards the achievement of National Unity…”
The discovery of oil on our shores heralded a new era, where there was much expectation from the people of higher standards of living… An investment in oil and gas training and other spin-offs may create opportunities for employment of citizens within oil and gas undertakings and also stem the migration of jobless citizens to other countries.
As an independent nation, Guyanese need to stand together in defence of its patrimony and demand that persons elected to serve as leaders deliver to the expectations of the people…
I therefore call upon the people, irrespective of individual political beliefs and persuasions, imbue new country-oriented mindsets. Summon the strength and independence to stand for what is just and right. Our minds must dispel all things that threaten harmony and/or strive to make the achievement of the virtues of our national motto a myth. As a priority, the law-abiding citizens of Guyana must stand in defence of each other, recognizing that power resides in the people. It is only with such unity that positive development can be achieved in Guyana for the benefit of all, and to achieve the timely emergence as either “El Dorado” or “Dubai of the Caribbean”.
Therefore, with the expectation of a unified stance in favour of rooting out systemic corruption and piloting Guyana on a correct course as an independent nation, I would like to extend best wishes on the occasion of the 57th Independence Anniversary to all Guyanese, on behalf of the Executive Council, Members, and Staff of the GPSU, and myself and my family. Together we must aspire to achieve a bright future, working and living together in love, unity and harmony.
