Calls for inclusion, an end to workplace discrimination, and legal protections for all workers—regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity—took centre stage at the Guyana Together Trade Unions Convening held last Wednesday.
The event, hosted under the theme “Strengthening Solidarity: Building Trade Union Support for Guyana Together”, brought together a broad coalition of unions at the Herdmanston Lodge Hotel in Queenstown, Georgetown.
Participating unions included the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU), Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Guyana Postal and Telecommunications Workers Union (GPTWU), United Minibus Union (UMU), and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).
The forum focused on deepening engagement with the trade union movement around critical issues such as sexuality, gender, and human rights, with discussions highlighting the urgent need for legislative reform to protect all workers, especially those facing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The gathering also sought to promote collaborative advocacy towards achieving inclusive legal change.
One major concern raised was the impact of workplace discrimination on productivity.
Union representatives received updates on existing local laws affecting LGBT individuals and discussed how unions could strengthen their advocacy efforts on behalf of affected workers.
Joel Simpson, Managing Director of the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) Guyana, noted that 35 per cent of human rights complaints received by the organisation relate to violations of the right to work.
“There are still no laws that ensure discrimination based on sexuality is prohibited,” Simpson stated, adding that: “If workers are not protected, they would not perform—and we do hear complaints on how discrimination affects their work.”
Unions also registered their commitment to increasing awareness of these issues within workplaces and pledged to support the Guyana Together campaign, which aims to promote inclusive workplace practices.
Wednesday’s event marked the first in a series of initiatives designed to build alliances with trade unions in support of legislative reform and the decriminalisation of same-sex intimacy.
The Guyana Together campaign recognises the pivotal role that trade unions play in shaping public discourse and advocating for inclusive policy reforms, both within the workplace and society at large.
