The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) holds the view that the government by itself cannot reverse the declining "national conditions" and there must be equal participation by the social partners.
In a Christmas message, President of the GTUC and General Secretary of the Guyana Labour Union, Carvil Duncan, said "in this regard we must liberate ourselves from the prisons of the past and inaugurate new forms of governance; create greater space for the contributions of others. These urgently necessary initiatives must not be viewed as concessions but instead as acts of conviction emerging from a philosophy of what is best for Guyana".
He declared that there is an undeniable link between the country's economic state and the rise of unsocial behaviour. "The social partners must commit themselves to principles and actions that engender hope and reduce the despair of the many among us. The workers understanding of inflation and perception of economic growth are not to be found in nice speeches nor in statistics but in their cupboards and referenced in their pay packets", he said.
Duncan congratulated the government and the social partners for their roles in securing the recent Enhanced Highly Indebted Poor Countries debt relief and expressed the hope that the benefits of the poverty reduction strategy will be spread throughout the country in a non-partisan manner and become a catalyst for job creation.
In spite of the challenges of 2003, Duncan said that all had not been dismal. "Many workers displayed their entrepreneurial abilities and created their own jobs rather than waiting for employers", Duncan pointed out. He also noted that there were moments when "our political leaders appeared to know the national reality and attempted to disband political camps in the interest of the nation. Sadly, however, those shining moments were too brief and consequently their impact not permanent", he added.
Duncan contended that the nation needs to devote greater attention to the unemployed, the poor and suffering.
He said sympathy must also be shown to those whom the economic system had failed and those too weak to compete and too battered to retain hope. The TUC president also argued that the national economy has not expanded at the required rate to create new and diversified jobs.
"Regrettably, the season finds many young people who have bought into the philosophy of pursuing higher education and delaying gratification, in a quandary.
The private sector, confronted by its own challenges, has been unable to offer employment in sufficient measures to those seeking jobs and willing to work", he posited.
Meanwhile, the labour movement must consider ways to best influence the politics and policies of the country, Duncan noted as well as reconfiguring the general idea of workers' benefits.