“We’re not in breach of any labour laws” – Pres Ali on Cuban labour restrictions by US

The Guyana Government has informed United States authorities that all Cubans working in the country are doing so strictly under local labour laws as well as in compliance of international labour laws.

The US has expanded an existing Cuba-related visa restriction policy that targets forced labour linked to the Cuban labour export programme. This decision will see visa restrictions placed on state officials believed to be involved in the export of Cuban workers – a move that has been strongly criticised by some Caribbean leaders.

In Guyana, Cuban medical professionals work in several public and private hospitals across the country.

President Dr Irfaan Ali told reporters on the sidelines of an event earlier today that assurance was given to the US that all foreign workers here, including Cubans, receive the same benefits as Guyanese.

“We have already responded to the US through our official channels that whatever [foreign] workers we have here – whether it’s from Cuba, India… that they fall under the same local labour laws and international labour laws.”

“We ensure their contracts and terms of employment are aligned with international and local labour laws and standards. But we also said to the US if there is any particular information or any specific issue that they wish for us to address, that we’re more than willing to work with them,” the Guyanese Leader stated.

Last week, President Ali was in the US and met with several top Government officials to discuss a number of issues.

Citing the close ties that Guyana and the US share on many issues, the Head of State maintained that there are no labour breaches here. In fact, he said that among the information the Guyana Government shared with the US last week is the benefits that the Cuban workers get here.

“We are very confident that they are working in strict conformity with international labour laws and our local labour laws… We’ve shared with [the US] everything, and we’re not in breach of any labour laws,” the President stressed.

Only on Thursday, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo said Guyana will be addressing this matter through diplomacy and to the satisfaction of all parties.

Jagdeo’s remarks came after Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said she is prepared to have her US visa revoked as she urged Caribbean Countries (CARICOM) countries to defend the Cuban health brigade programme. Other leaders from Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago have also expressed their support for the Cuban programme.

According to President Ali, “…when the policy was announced [by the US]… we were at [the CARICOM] Heads meeting, and this was one of the subjects that Heads would have requested a meeting on with the US State Department.”