Georgetown: The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is hosting Cde Ramon Cardona, head of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) Latin America & the Caribbean Regional Office which is based in Havana, Cuba.
Cde Cardona’s visit to Guyana from October 20 to 21, 2014 precedes similar visits to the Caribbean territories of Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Barbados and Jamaica. During the two (2) day visit Cde Cardona will meet with the members of the leadership of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG). Already he has met with Minister of Labour, Dr Nanda Gopaul. The World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) was established in the wake of the Second World War, after the defeat of Hitlerite fascism as well as at the foundation of the United Nations in June, 1945. It was formed to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international trade union organization. Many delegations of trade unions from different countries, including Guyana, attended the first Congress of the World Federation of Trade Unions held in Paris from 3rd to 8th October, 1945. However, there was a split in this body with the creation of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) in 1949 one of the consequences of the advent of the Cold War. The WFTU has a membership of 129 million persons and affiliates in 130 countries. Our Union’s President, Cde Komal Chand is currently a member of the Presidential Council of this Organisation. GAWU has been an affiliate of this body for decades, and has received much support and solidarity in its struggles during this time. Notably, assistance was received when the Union was briefly derecognized by the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (Guysuco) in 1987. And also when the Union was engaged in protests against the implementation of the harsh and stringent measures of the IMF and World Bank, facilitated by the then Government around this period. For WFTU solidarity has always been one if its pillars ever since it was founded. The GAWU is pleased to host the WFTU representative, Cde Ramon Cardona to Guyana. The GAWU is certain that his visit and his discussions with several labour leaders and activists will be fruitful and prove to be mutually benefical in the near future.
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