Major changes on stream to address workers’ rights – Labour Minister
Guyana’s Labour Minister, Hon. Joseph Hamilton has stated that employees across Guyana will soon witness an intense fundamental change to worker’s rights and welfare.
“I want to have at least two labour officers residing in every region so that we can see the smoke before the fire arrive,” the Minister noted during an engagement with stakeholders, in Region 10 on Saturday.
Emphasising that one of Government’s main concerns is upkeeping the laws which govern employees, the Labour Minister noted that the norm of having issues escalate in the workplace before addressing them, will not be condoned by the current administration.
Minister Hamilton stressed that when the Regional Councils are established, he will engage the authorities to recommend two officers to undergo training in this regard. Those individuals will have to return to their respective regions to serve.
For years, there have been a number of concerns raised by scores of employees, specifically those in the private sector, of employers tampering with workers’ rights in the workplace.
Major issues such as untimely salaries and persons being underpaid; while workers were wrongfully fired without receiving their benefits, are among those endured.
However, such incidences will not be overlooked by the PPP/C Government, Minister Hamilton maintained.
“Forestry is another issue. They have employees working under conditions that are not satisfactory and we can’t police those issues from Georgetown. There must be trained people in the regions who regularly interact with employers and employees,” Minister Hamilton stated.