The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) has noted, through media reports, the several visits to workplaces by Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton in recent weeks. From what we saw, it appeared, that the Minister was very disturbed by the apparent nonchalant attitude in abiding with statutory Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) obligations by certain employers. Indeed, this has been a soring issue for quite sometime and one which we believe became precariously worse when the former Labour Ministry was downgraded to a Department by the former Government and scant attention was paid to workers’ rights.
It appears that the Ministry, under the leadership of Minister Hamilton, has roared back to life. It is now seeking to right the wrongs that have been perpetuated for far too long against unwitting workers. The Federation, for its part, is supportive of every and any effort that seeks to ensure workers benefit from, at the very least, their lawful rights. There can be no excuse or rationale that can convince us that workers should receive anything less.
We recognize that the Minister has allowed employers a chance to put themselves in order. We, however, do not share similar views. The Federation contends that employers ought to be well aware of their obligations outlined in the OSH Act. It should not escape our attention that the OSH legislation has been on the Statue Book for almost quarter of a century now. There is no convincing rationale for ignorance. It is our concerted view that delinquent employers ought to face the full force of the law given their seeming reckless attitude adopted. There undoubtedly is a need to send a strong and clear message. At the same time, we recognize that the penalties outlined by the Act are hardly much of a deterrent and there is an urgent need for amendment. The Federation recognized too that the Minister had indicated that relevant amendments were being prepared to correct the situation. We are hopeful this will be sooner than later.
We urge the Minister to continue his visits as we express our willingness to accompany him. The FITUG has heard that they are some employers, some under the nose of the Ministry, being allowed a free reign. We urge the Minister and the Ministry to also visit these workplaces and to look at all breaches within the gamut of labour legislations. We also believe that there is need for a revamping of the Ministry. We did see Minister Hamilton speaking about the expansion in the cadre of labour officers, this is a welcome first step. But such officers must be knowledgeable and competent to identify and arrest breaches of the workers rights. At the same time, the law must have teeth to deter the recklessness of some employers. Indeed, for far too long unorganized workers have seen their rights attracting little attention. This is a situation that is not in the interest of those workers and the country as a whole.
