The Labour and Manpower Planning Ministry has put Guyana's wholesale and retail businesses on notice that enforcement of labour laws will be tightened, as the sector continues to record the country's highest employee turnover in 2026.
Labour Minister Keoma Griffith issued the warning on Tuesday at a seminar attended by more than 100 representatives of wholesale and retail companies at the Police Officers' Mess Annex, Eve Leary, Georgetown, according to INews Guyana.
Education first, but enforcement will follow
Griffith, an attorney-at-law, said the seminar forms part of a nationwide initiative to improve workplace practices, raise awareness of labour rights and responsibilities, and address the challenges driving workers out of the sector. The concerns are not new. The Private Sector Commission flagged labour-law compliance problems in the wholesale and retail trade as far back as 2024, and the Minister acknowledged that limited progress has been made since then.
“This sector represented here represents perhaps the largest number of workers and employees in Guyana,” Griffith said, adding that managers and supervisors carry much of the responsibility for good industrial relations.
The Minister was explicit that the education drive will be paired with stronger compliance measures.
“When we bring awareness, when we educate, you can expect, or we expect, that there will be changes, that there will be improvement, so that you do not fall on the side of those who are non-compliant,” he said.
He urged employers to examine working conditions within their businesses and to address the sources of employee dissatisfaction, and he encouraged companies to recognise and reward workers with five, 10 and 25 years of service. Workers, he said, should not be treated merely as instruments of profit.
“When they perform at their best, your business will thrive. This industry will thrive. And Guyana thrives,” the Minister said.
Legislative reform is coming
The seminar sits within the Government's Decent Work Country Programme, which runs from 2025 to 2030 and combines awareness sessions with monitoring of how workers are treated. Griffith said the Ministry has consulted widely with stakeholders, including the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Private Sector Commission, and expects changes to the legislative framework in the coming months.
The proposed changes would strengthen protections for workers while also addressing business concerns, he said. Guyana's labour legislation is already under a technical review, as the International Labour Organization has reported, part of wide-ranging consultations on how the law should adapt to a changing world of work. The outreach effort has extended beyond the capital; the Guyana Chronicle recently reported that the Ministry held a similar engagement with Region Three businesses on workplace standards.
GCCI: enforcement must not punish the compliant
Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Kathy Smith welcomed consistent enforcement but insisted it should come with education, guidance, and genuine engagement with the business community. Her argument is one the government would do well to heed: the real victims of weak enforcement are the businesses that play by the rules.
Smith said the Chamber raised concerns about non-compliance in the sector in November 2024, and maintained that law-abiding businesses should not be disadvantaged against those that ignore their obligations. When one employer invests in proper working conditions and meets its statutory duties while a competitor ignores them, the playing field tilts.
“That is not good for workers, it is not good for responsible businesses, and ultimately, it is not good for Guyana,” Smith said.
She noted that many micro, small and medium-sized enterprises lack dedicated human resource departments or specialised legal advice, which makes seminars of this kind valuable in helping employers understand what the law requires of them. Employees, she added, also need to understand their rights and the responsibilities that productive working relationships demand.
Smith welcomed the modernisation of labour legislation and said employers should have a say in shaping the regulations that govern their operations. She pointed to an upcoming national stakeholder consultation on Guyana's occupational safety and health profile, policy and programme, alongside the review of the legislative framework.
A level field, not a heavier hand
The Ministry's instinct here is broadly right. Enforcement of existing law protects honest businesses from being undercut by those that treat workers badly, and there is a strong liberal case for the state guaranteeing that basic fairness. The risk lies in execution. Reform that piles new obligations onto small businesses without simple, predictable rules will push more of them into the informal economy, the opposite of what the Decent Work programme intends.
Smith said the Chamber remains willing to work with the Ministry to improve awareness and provide practical guidance to its members and the wider business community. The objective, she said, should be a working environment in which businesses compete fairly, workers are treated with dignity, and labour regulations support both economic growth and workers' well-being.
That balance is achievable, but only if the coming legislative changes are written with employers at the table rather than handed down to them. The Ministry expects the new framework within months. How it treats the small businesses that make up most of this sector will determine whether the reforms raise standards or simply raise costs.
FAQ
Who warned Guyana's wholesale and retail businesses about labour-law breaches?
Labour Minister Keoma Griffith warned the sector at a seminar on Tuesday at the Police Officers' Mess Annex in Georgetown, saying enforcement will be strengthened alongside education efforts.
Why is the wholesale and retail sector under scrutiny?
The sector recorded the highest employee turnover in Guyana in 2026, and the Private Sector Commission raised compliance concerns as early as 2024.
What did the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry say?
GCCI President Kathy Smith backed consistent enforcement but said it must be paired with education and guidance, so that compliant businesses are not disadvantaged against those that ignore the law.