Guyana to host 7th Caribbean Regional IUF Conference in Georgetown

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) will host the 7th Caribbean Regional Conference of the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations from March 26–27, 2026, in Georgetown.

The two-day conference is expected to bring together approximately 50 trade unionists from across the Caribbean and beyond. The gathering will serve as a platform to review the regional committee’s work since the last conference in 2022, which was held in Antigua and Barbuda, and to establish priorities for the years ahead.

A central feature of the conference will be the presentation of the Caribbean Regional Secretary’s report by Clifton Grant, First Vice President of the University and Allied Workers Union. Delegates are also expected to engage in discussions focused on strengthening regional collaboration and advancing workers’ rights across the Caribbean.

The conference will also be attended by Kristjan Bragason, Acting General Secretary of the IUF, who will be visiting Guyana for the first time since assuming office. His participation is expected to underscore the importance of the Caribbean region within the global labour movement.

Another key agenda item will be the election of a new IUF Caribbean Regional Committee, comprising representatives from affiliated unions across the region.

In preparation for the main conference, several meetings have already taken place, including sessions of the IUF Young Workers Committee, Women’s Committee and Caribbean Regional Committee. The Young Workers Committee Conference was held on March 23 at GAWU’s Conference Room in High Street, Kingston, Georgetown, where young trade unionists assessed the current state of the regional labour movement and outlined strategies for future engagement.

GAWU said it is honoured to host the conference, describing the event as a strong demonstration of regional solidarity and international workers’ cooperation, aimed at advancing the rights and welfare of working people across the Caribbean.