Pres Ali lauds CCWU for over 70 years of service to Guyanese working class

President Irfaan Ali, lauded the Clerical and Commercial Workers’ Union (CCWU) for its seven decades of dedicated service to the working class, noting that its survival and continued growth over 77 years is a testament to strong leadership, commitment, and the unwavering support of its members.
“The commitment, the vision and the support of the membership have sustained the CCWU across the decades. I offer sincere congratulations to the CCWU, its leadership, members, and all those who through sacrifice and dedication have carried this noble union from strength to strength,” President Ali expressed.
According to Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton in a social media post, the President on Saturday evening, made the remarks during his feature address at the 6th Triennial Delegate Conference and 77th Anniversary of the CCWU.
The conference, hosted at Cara Lodge Hotel, was held under the theme “Refine and Reshape Workers’ Identities through Change.”
The event brought together union representatives and stakeholders to reflect on the CCWU’s enduring contribution to workers’ rights and development.
The Head of State reflected on the union’s role in Guyana’s history, noting that the workers’ movement has always been intertwined with the country’s broader struggle for dignity, justice, democracy, and independence.

Highlighting the conference’s theme, President Ali emphasised that workers’ identity must continue to evolve in a rapidly changing global environment.
“Even as a leader, you are still a worker. The notion of workers’ identity is not abstract, it refers to how workers define themselves in relation to their rights, their labour, and their place in society. This identity has been shaped by historical, social and economic factors, and it must continue to adapt as the world of work changes,” he noted.
President Ali underscored the challenges and opportunities posed by globalisation, digitisation, demographic shifts and climate change, pointing to the need for bold strategies to ensure Guyanese workers remain competitive and resilient.
He stressed the importance of reskilling and upskilling to prepare the workforce for emerging industries, particularly in the digital and green economy.
“This Government is going to work with you (unions) and union leaders on reskilling and upskilling the workers, on preparing our people, and on investing in them to meet the challenges of the future,” the President pledged.
He urged unions to expand their traditional roles and partner with Government and employers in shaping labour policy, promoting lifelong learning, and advocating for safe and equitable technological transitions. The President also highlighted his Government’s record of improving conditions for workers. This includes more than 110 collective labour agreements signed in the past five years, salary increases, higher income tax thresholds, and overtime incentives. He also noted the restoration of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant for schoolchildren, which had been discontinued under the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Administration.
He also highlighted the Government’s nationwide distribution of over 53,000 house lots and 39,000 scholarships; the rollback of freight charges and reduction of import taxes to lower the cost of living, and the creation of more than 60,000 jobs opportunities through expanded economic growth. He further highlighted the country’s recently signed Decent Work Country Programme (2025–2030), developed in collaboration with national and international partners, which will strengthen workers’ rights, expand access to benefits, and prepare Guyana’s workforce for future opportunities.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to labour, President Ali stated, “Labour has and will always have a friend in my Government. We have the best interest of the working people at heart because our party has deep roots in the working-class movement. Workers in Guyana have never been better off than they are today and together we will ensure that they share in the prosperity of our nation’s most consequential decade.”
The President urged the delegates to use the conference to generate bold ideas and meaningful action for the future of workers in Guyana.