Home News Labour Day 2025: Workers can look forward to improvements, real income growth,...
On the occasion of Labour Day 2025, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering support for Guyanese workers, assuring that “workers have a friend, not a foe, in my government.” In a stirring message of solidarity, the President saluted the contributions of labour to national development and vowed to ensure “real income growth and equitable benefits” as the country’s economy expands.
Ali hailed the day as a time to “reflect on the heroic and historic struggles of workers” and celebrated the gains achieved through “working-class solidarity and working-class parties and governments.” He stressed that improvements in wages, conditions, and social welfare came through decades of sacrifice and unity.
Looking ahead, the President said Guyanese workers can expect more—including access to quality healthcare and education, improved housing and utilities, social protection, and economic empowerment opportunities.
On this point, he emphasised that these would be delivered in a more inclusive and equitable economic framework, ensuring no worker is left behind.
“They can look forward to investments that generate personal, household, and inter-generational wealth. They can envision a future with assured access to world-class education and health care, along with advancements in human well-being. Workers of Guyana will continue to benefit from improvements in housing, water, sanitation, lower energy costs, better social security, transformative infrastructure and meaningful opportunities for economic empowerment”.
“Workers in Guyana stand to benefit equitably from our growing economy. My government will ensure that the fruits of progress are shared by all, by fostering a more inclusive and prosperous future for everyone,” Dr. Ali said.
Calling on unions and the wider workforce to stay united, he underscored that solidarity remains the key to achieving even greater progress.
“Let us use this occasion not only to celebrate working class achievements but also to renew our commitment to recognizing the indispensable role of labour in national development and to ensuring greater dialogue and cooperation to secure workers’ rights and expand opportunities for working class empowerment,” he added.
Strides
On Wednesday, Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had reminded that over 60,000 more people are working today compared to when the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) took office, a testament to the government’s commitment to job creation and economic revitalisation.
He contrasted this with the previous administration’s record, noting that during the A Partnership for National Unity – Alliance For Change’s (APNU-AFC) five-year tenure, thousands of jobs were lost across major sectors including sugar, bauxite, gold mining, and forestry. Jagdeo pointed out that during that period, businesses slowed and cash flow diminished, leading to widespread unemployment.
The Vice President further outlined key programmes such as the part-time job initiative, which currently supports over 14,000 people—primarily women—with flexible employment. He also highlighted the reinstatement of Community Support Officers (CSOs) in Amerindian communities, with nearly 3,000 now employed, reversing job cuts made under the previous administration.
Jagdeo linked job creation with upskilling. Over 30,000 scholarships have been awarded under the GOAL programme, with an additional 20,000 trained through Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) and the Board of Industrial Training (BIT). These efforts aim to boost the quality and earning potential of the workforce.
He noted that under the APNU/AFC, only 1,000 scholarships were awarded, “mainly for friends and family.”
Jagdeo also touted the restoration and strengthening of collective bargaining, noting that multi-year agreements were signed with the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), the Guyana Teachers’ Union, and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU).
Further, significant tax relief measures were implemented, including a $50,000 monthly tax-free allowance on overtime; an additional $50,000 exemption for income earned from a second job; tax thresholds raised, with allowances for dependents; restoration of the Joint Services’ one-month tax-free bonus at a cost of nearly $2 billion.
