President Ali hailed as most worker-friendly leader in Guyana’s history

The Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) Carvil Duncan has praised President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s leadership, recognising him the most ‘worker-friendly’ head of state of state the country has ever seen.

Duncan made the declaration while addressing this year’s Labour Day celebrations hosted on the lawns of State House on Friday, pledging the full electoral weight of the organised labour movement behind him.

“This is the first time in the history of this country that we had a budget for Labour Day,” he said, crediting President Ali for this move.

The chairman, who said he has worked alongside every president Guyana has had, drew a clear distinction between President Ali and his predecessor.

“He’s worker orientated. He’s trade union friendly,” he said, stating that, “Every one of the presidents in this country I have worked with, and they all have their own style, but President Ali has a different style.”

He described President Ali as uniquely approachable, noting that the head of state regularly convenes direct discussions with the Federation to hear workers’ concerns and exchange ideas including on pathways for trade unionists to transition into entrepreneurship.

The chairman also underscored FITUG’s political influence, reminding those present that organised labour’s membership exceeds that of any political party in the country. He said the Federation, which represents the largest bloc of organised workers in Guyana, would throw its support behind President Ali without hesitation.

“In his first term he was extremely good, in this second term he has been better,” the chairman said.

His remarks also touched on the broader significance of the moment, with Guyana approaching its 60th year of independence and the trade union movement itself tracing its roots back to the formation of the first union in 1919 and its registration in 1921.