Reaching out for betterment and progress - the continuing struggles of GAWU

Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union

Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress The continuing struggles of the GAWU

Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

The continuing struggle of the GAWU

CONTENTS Foreword.................................................................................................... 1 Address by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to WFTU Presidential Council meeting, March 07 and 08, 2013, Lima, Peru................................................................................................. 4 Contribution by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to 2013 National Budget Debates, April 04, 2013, Parliament of Guyana, Public Building, Georgetown.................................................................. 9 Address by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to Labour Day 2013 Rally, May 01, 2013, National Park, Georgetown....................... 18 Address by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to Enmore Martyrs 2013 Rally, June 16, 2013, Enmore Martyrs Monument Square, ECD.............................................................................................. 27 Address by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to WFTU Presidential Council meeting, February 14 and 15, 2014, Rome, Italy................................................................................................ 33 Address by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to Rose Hall Martyrs commemoration activity, March 09, 2014, Rose Hall Martyrs Monument Site, Canje, Berbice.............................................................. 37 Contribution by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to 2014 National Budget Debates, April 03, 2014, Parliament of Guyana, Public Building Georgetown................................................................... 41 Address by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to Labour Day 2014 Rally, May 01, 2014, National Park, Georgetown....................... 48 Address by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to Enmore Martyrs 2014 Rally, June 16, 2014, Enmore Martyrs Monument Square, ECD............................................................................................. 58

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CONTENTS Tribute by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to Cde Navin Chandarpal, November 02, 2014, Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown............................................... 63 Address by GAWU General Secretary, Cde Seepaul Narine to Rose Hall Martyrs commemoration activity, March 26, 2015, Rose Hall Martyrs Monument Site, Canje, Berbice............................................... 67 Address by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to Labour Day 2015 Rally, May 01, 2015, National Park, Georgetown....................... 70 Address by GAWU International Affairs Secretary Cde Aslim Singh, to Enmore Martyrs 2015 Rally, June 16, 2015, Enmore Martyrs Monument Square, ECD......................................................................... 76 Contribution by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to 2015 National Budget Debates, August 19, 2015, Parliament of Guyana, Public Building, Georgetown.................................................................. 79 Tribute by GAWU General Secretary Cde Seepaul Narine, to Cde Nun Persaud, September 22, 2015, Blankenburg, West Coast Demerara................................................................................................... 86 Contribution by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to 2016 National Budget Debates, February 11, 2016, Parliament of Guyana, Public Building, Georgetown.................................................................. 89 Address by GAWU General Secretary, Cde Seepaul Narine, to Critchlow Wreath Laying Activity on April 24, 2016 at the Public Buildings, Georgetown............................................................................ 97 Address by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to Labour Day 2016 Rally, May 01, 2016, National Park, Georgetown....................... 101 Address by GAWU International Affairs Secretary, Cde Aslim Singh, to 4th International Conference of the TUI Agriculture, June 13, 2016, Paris, France.................................................................... 106

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CONTENTS Address by GAWU General Secretary, Cde Seepaul Narine, to Enmore Martyrs 2016 Rally, June 16, 2016, Enmore Martyrs Monument Square, ECD......................................................................... 110 Tribute by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand to Cde Rooplall Persaud, July 16, 2016, LBI, East Coast Demerara............................... 116 Address by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand to Opening Session of GAWU’s 21st Delegates’ Congress, August 20, 2016, Bath Primary School, West Coast Berbice..................................................................... 119 Feature Address by Dr James Rose to Opening Session of GAWU’s 21st Delegates’ Congress, August 20, 2016, Bath Primary School, West Coast Berbice................................................................................... 125

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Foreword The volume before us is a collection of speeches by three leaders of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) covering the period March 7, 2013 to August 20, 2016. This is a very interesting period in the history of our country, spanning the change of the government in Guyana. It is also a period that has seen much change in the international arena.

It is of great interest to follow some of these changes, as reflected by the largest trade union in Guyana and the Caribbean.

Naturally, a great part of the volume is about the sugar industry; its history and its many challenges. The story here is being told from the perspective of the working class. This is a welcome development, since the literature of sugar is not always told from workers’ point of view. This makes this volume very important to working people in particular, and readers of social science generally.

The volume is also very timely. It is coming out at a time when the industry is facing its greatest challenge in its modern history.

Under colonialism, the colonial state supported the sugar planters. One could say the planters ran the government from the time of slavery well into the first half of the 20th century.

The sugar industry came under state ownership in 1976, during the government of the People’s National Congress (PNC). That party saw it as a cash cow, and extracted huge amounts of resources from the industry, it did not do a great deal in terms of recapitalisation and diversification of the industry. Eventually, that policy led to a sharp decline in production; it went as low as 129,920 tons in 1990.

The industry bounced back during the period of our country’s democratization process ushered in by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government in 1992. Production once again rose to an average of 319,583 tonnnes sugar in the years 2002, 2003 and 2004.

However, the industry ran into some difficulties with the great floods of Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

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2005 and its impact in the next years. While recovering, another blow was dealt to the industry in 2010 when the European Union arbitrarily cut the price of sugar it imported from ACP sugar producing countries by 36 per cent The industry once more showed great resilience, and was emerging from the crisis. New revenue streams were being developed. Already, we had co-generation at Skeldon, that was to have been expanded to Albion and Enmore estates. The industry also processed high quality sugar, and had set up packaging facilities at Enmore and Blairmont estates. It also started bottling molasses, which was taking the market in other countries.

The corporation was working to produce ethanol and to establish a new distillery. The goal was also to produce refined sugar at Skeldon.

Production began to improve under the strategic plan of the corporation.

The plan was to see the industry breaking even in 2017; after that, to have the industry once more generating big profits.

The industry was scoring successes. The figures show improvement under the PPP/Civic Administration. First crop production in 2014 was 80,000 tonnes of sugar. In 2015, it was 82,000 tonnes. The plan began in 2014, the government changed in May 2015, and the then GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer, along with several other senior managers, was removed.

In 2016, first crop production fell to 56,000 tonnes; and in 2017, it reached a low 49,000 tonnes.

Clearly, the industry needs a strong government commitment and investment to assist in restructuring. It also needs an able management team than is now being displayed.

It is in this atmosphere that the union is now being forced to fight for the survival of the industry. It is not just a trade union fight, but it is a national concern.

This volume, while sugar runs through every article, is not only confined to sugar workers.

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The national and international character of the GAWU is being displayed splendidly. Issues such as trade union and working class unity are prominent.

Moreover, the union leaders have also displayed an impressive knowledge of international issues. They give these developments a lot of importance, and also looked at them from the perspective of the international working class movement. This is of great general value to the public at large, but to workers in particular.

The GAWU leaders have shown that they are continuing the rich tradition of the workers and of its late Honorary President, Cheddi Jagan. The internationalism he imbued in the union is alive and well. The importance of solidarity is seen in almost every article reproduced here.

The contributors wrote with an enviable command of facts and figures.

This is a very important volume, and should be used by activists in the workers’ struggles as well as by academics who are seeking a greater understanding of the conditions of workers generally, and specifically sugar workers.

Donald Ramotar Former President of Guyana

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Address by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to WFTU Presidential Council meeting March 07 and 08, 2013 Lima, Peru Comrades, on behalf of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), I extend warmest greetings of solidarity to all members of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) Presidential Council.

I also take this opportunity to express cordial greetings to the working people of Peru, even as I express my Union’s fraternal embrace to the General Confederation of Workers of Peru (CGTP).

Our meeting, comrades, at this time affords us an opportunity, yet again, to give recognition to the latest positive developments in Latin America and the Caribbean. The recent electoral victories of progressive forces in several countries are clear manifestations not only of the popularity of the respective leaders, but of the people’s support for policies that veer away from the neoliberal order. The people-oriented policies and progressive trends in this continent, pursued with courage and determination, fortify our hopes and struggles for deep-seated change, for a just global order.

As it did with Cuba - that trail-blazer of revolutionary practices - for over fifty (50) years now, US imperialism is not willing to let go of its deadly grip on the continent. Indeed, where it can, that hold – political, economic and military – is strengthened. We note with concern its efforts to undermine and reverse the tide of independent and progressive developments in the region.

We are not oblivious to the US role and support of coups in Haiti, Honduras and Paraguay, and its attempts at destablisation of several countries though local agents with financial support doled out by its inter- national agencies. In passing, let us also observe, once more, the ease with which it abandons basic democratic norms and human rights to advance its retrogressive objectives.

Despite these efforts, the progressive trajectory endures, and is being 4

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strengthened by the rise of new institutions like the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean.

States (CELAC) and others, which are intended to forge “greater” cooperation and promote mutually beneficial economic and trade links.

Comrades, at conclusion of our last meeting, just over a year ago, we identified three (3) main facets of workers’ reality and life:1. The deepening of the capitalist crisis together with an effort of the ruling classes to transfer the burden to the working class and other groups; 2. Increasing aggressiveness of imperialism through wars and invasions; and 3. An intensification of struggles by the working-class and other groups to protect and defend their gains, benefits and rights.

Today, one year on, the situation remains the same, if not worse. The world continues to be gripped by the economic crisis. This year, world unemployment could hit record levels, and continue rising, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). In its annual Global Employment Trends report, the ILO forecasts that jobless numbers around the world will increase by 5.1 million in 2013 to 202 million people, topping 2009’s record of 198 million.

The trends examined in the ILO report expose the fraudulent claim by many neo-liberal economists that “an economic recovery has begun”.

On the contrary, a systemic crisis of the world capitalist economy is destroying jobs – particularly for the world’s youth – and plunging greater numbers of people into poverty. The austerity measures of governments around the world are further exacerbating this process.

The ILO further reveals that there are currently some 397 million workers living in extreme poverty, and there is an additional 472 million who cannot meet their basic needs on a regular basis. This means that 12 per cent of the world’s population lives in families where at least one member is working but they still struggle to gain access to decent housing, food and other necessities.

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The statistics outline that the policies applied by governments of developed countries, whether conservative or social democratic, are unable to solve the problems which confront them. Today, under conditions of deep capitalist crisis, under conditions of decay of the capitalist system, the bold struggles of workers, of poor peasants, of the youth, are providing optimistic hope and pointing the way towards change of the system of capitalism. In this regard, we emphasize that their struggles for specific and immediate goals cannot be delinked from the wider struggles in defense of freedom, democracy, for social justice, against war, and for environmental concerns. Comrades, as we meet here today, we must be mindful of the increasing aggressiveness of imperialism. France’s military aggression in Mali is only the latest expression of a renewed scramble for Africa being undertaken with military support coming from the continent’s former colonialist over- lords and, significantly, the US Empire. Africa is again becoming – more and more – a continent for imperialism’s military adventures. The atrocities and war crimes we have seen and are seeing in the Middle East and South Asia and North Africa are beginning to spread to other, particularly mineral- rich, countries of the African continent.

We cannot fail to note that the French invasion of Mali is taking place under the newly-elected “Socialist” President Hollande, possibly encouraged by former President Sarkozy, who oversaw France playing a forceful role in the devastation of Libya, in the course of which the leader, Gadaffi, his children and grand children were killed. Already, from Mali, civilian deaths, including children, are being reported.

The “War-on-Terrorism” and threats of “Jihadists” and “Al-Qaida” are again being used as justification and the pretext for military operations.

And, under cover of this invasion, Africom, we are told, has now established a drone base in neighbouring Niger.

With such kind of developments, prospects for economic progress and tackling grinding poverty in this continent are dim. Neo-colonialism, its hallmark characterized by plunder and control of the continent’s bountiful resources, is deepening its roots.

Africa today demands our greater attention; and the WFTU, I am sure, will not hesitate to mount solidarity activities as the situation worsens.

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We denounce imperialism. We denounce imperialist wars and schemes against peoples.

Comrades, as we see, the world situation continues to be grim.

Austerity seems to be the standard answer that the ruling classes of the developed capitalist countries have come up with to the ongoing economic financial crises. Some analysts are more often giving gloomy predictions of what awaits us ahead; some of which shall not be dismissed, given the dire realities we are witnessing. Ecological and environmental disasters are widespread, and are occurring more frequently. War talk, together with arms purchasing and armaments developments and threats of cyberwars, is continuing apace. Capitalism/imperialism, with its obsession for resources – especially other peoples’ resources – to feed its insatiable hunger for super profits, is largely responsible for the threatening and troubling world situation. Clearly, the necessity for profound global changes has become urgent.

Against this backdrop, the rising struggles of working people and youth - mainly of Europe and North America - against austerity and foreclosures, and the resistance to imperialist wars and neo-colonialist plunder must be seen as very significant components of our world of today. Once again, history has called on the working class and its allies and the oppressed to be the harbingers of change.

Those who are in the trenches and frontlines of the sharpening class struggles deserve our full support and solidarity. That is a priority and immediate task before us – a task for our individual unions as well as our collective organization, which is the WFTU. The ruling classes are not sluggish in the face of these growing challenges to their anti-people policies and the capitalist system. As we are seeing in Greece and Spain, other countries too, their response is brutal and repressive. In North America and the United Kingdom, surveillance which erodes freedoms and privacy is on the ascendancy; and in the US, the President is accused of using robots to assassinate US citizens, while using such machines for spying purposes domestically. It is in this context also that we need to see the mushrooming of fascist organizations and Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

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groups in several countries, and the real threat they pose to the workers’ struggles and the welfare of immigrants.

The WFTU Presidential Council must continue to reflect on the challenges facing humanity today. The situation is dynamic. Being abreast with the evolving conditions will certainly help us to determine effective tactics and strategies to advance the struggles of the world’s exploited and oppressed.

Poverty, inequality, high levels of unemployment, plunder of developing countries, and unjust wars are very much with us. Only a path of consistent, determined and selfless struggle, with a scientific theory as a guide and with allies, can ensure the realization of our vision and goals - that is: to achieve a peaceful world, where each individual can live a meaningful life with full development of his or her personality and talents, and with the guarantee of human and civil rights in a democratic framework of society.

There is much work ahead of us; many challenges to face and many battles to fight. The WFTU is called upon and is cast in the role to lead.

We can do it.

Long live the WFTU! Long live Proletarian Internationalism!

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Contribution by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to 2013 National Budget Debates April 04, 2013 Parliament of Guyana, Public Building, Georgetown Introduction Comrade Speaker, I rise to support the 2013 National Budget, the Budget of the majority Party, so ably presented by the Minister of Finance. Several of the measures outlined in this, the second Budget since the November, 2011 Regional and National elections, I welcome as they would certainly impact on the well-being of Guyana’s working people. I, moreover, hold the view that the budget must be assessed from the perspective of continuity as well as against the backdrop of the continuing economic crisis at the international level and our present domestic circumstances. Those measures I am particularly drawn to represent, I believe, a purposeful effort by the PPP/C Government to give attention and bring much-needed relief to the working sectors, the vulnerable and the poor in our society.

Comrade Speaker, it is my intention to focus on a few measures of the Budget, and one or two other related issues, within the time-frame I am allotted. My colleagues are undoubtedly reflecting on the varied and numerous measures contained in the Budget, and which would need greater attention.

Our Social Sectors It is heartening that the expenditure in the social sectors remains significant. This testifies to the Government’s commitment to ensure that a sizeable proportion of the Budget is devoted to meet the needs of the people, especially the ordinary Guyanese. Thus, from the budgetary allocations, it is discerned that allocations towards Education, Health, Old Age and Disability Benefits, Water and Housing and Poverty have attracted approximately 32 per cent of the budget, or G$66.2B of the G$208.8B Budget; and this amounts to a percaptia allocation of $83,134, accepting that our population is 796,300 persons. Thirty-two (32) per cent to the Social Sectors is about four (4) times, or 400 per cent, more than the aggregate budgetary allocations to these sectors when compared to 20 years ago.

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However, Comrade Speaker, as recognized in the Budget Speech, it is necessary to ensure that properly managed systems are always in place, in order to realize the full benefit of the social sector expenditures and to ensure those benefits reach easily to the people and in an efficient manner.

Emphasis on education, the extended reach of Health Services, the expansion of Potable Water, the continuation of various Housing Projects, the improvement of the Physical Infrastructure in various communities, plans for more projects in Amerindian and hinterland communities, increases in pensions are all indicative of the critical and indispensible role of the State in respect to human resources development, the economic well-being of our population, and generally, the country’s progress. Sometimes there is a tendency to downplay or pay scant attention to the State’s role in the socio- economic development of a country. And when one considers, additionally, that the State continues to be the largest employer in Guyana today, then I feel constrained to advocate, Comrade Speaker, that the State must have a growing, not a diminishing, role in our society.

I hold the view, too, that the State needs support and encouragement to carry out its multifaceted tasks effectively and more efficiently. That support can be derived from the genuine democratic organizations; namely, the trade unions, the farmers’ organizations, women and youth bodies, professional groups whose members are in truth stakeholders as well as beneficiaries of the various tasks the State engages in. Involvement of democratic organizations will, moreover, serve to ensure, whilst enhancing, the state’s role in safeguarding and promoting the interests of the poor and powerless; of our womenfolk, youth and senior citizens.

Diversion from a pro-working people’s orientation onto a path leading to another direction is fraught with unspeakable dangers. Just look at the painful experiences in several of the countries in Europe and in North America today. Not so long ago, those were the very countries that were held up as economic success stories of a neo-liberal model of development urged upon developing countries worldwide. Failure to recognize those realities and learn the consequent lessons will only be to our detriment and to the detriment of those countries that have been induced or pressured to tread that path.

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The Minister of Finance reminds us that we have completed another year in which growth of the economy was experienced. Given the political challenges of last year, this was indeed a remarkable feat. 2013 promises to be another year of economic growth. Clearly, Comrade Speaker, stagnation and decline in our economic performances belong to a bygone era. Today, our steps are taking us onward, and we are looking forward to an increasingly better future.

The Guyana Millennium Report 2011 speaks eloquently to the progress we have made as a country. As Guyanese, we should all take pride in these achievements indentified therein. That report is testimony that we are set on a course to the realization and complete fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals. Our gains show what we in Guyana are capable of. They call to mind how much more can be attained with a political will, by placing our unshakeable confidence in the working people and through our united efforts.

Comrade Speaker, a distinguishing feature of Budget 2013, in my opinion, is the Minister’s effort to be innovative. My attention has been drawn, for instance, to a measure that would positively impact the housing sector. To quote the Finance Minister’s words “I now wish to announce that, with effect from year of income 2013, first-time home owners who are holders of mortgage loans of up to $30 million granted to them by commercial banks or the building society will be permitted to deduct the interest they pay on such mortgages from their taxable income for the purposes of personal in- come tax”. This mortgage interest relief initiative is a big surprise to many, I am sure, and what a relief it would bring to those qualified home owners and future home owners. Our citizenry is being encouraged, and are given yet another incentive, to fulfill their dream of having their own homes.

When assessed alongside the other budgetary measures aimed at bringing relief to the vulnerable, one can conclude that these would greatly assist in our on-going fight against poverty in our country.

Although there is still more to be done, it is rather remarkable that, the past two (2) decades, the PPP/C Administration has removed a significant proportion of our population from dire poverty. The programmes and actions outlined in this year’s Budget would be a further step in

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that direction. A country like ours, with an abundance of key natural resources, must ensure that exploitation of those resources redound to the interests of our people and significantly contribute to the country’s development. With such resources at our disposal, the goal to eradicate poverty, or bringing it down to an insignificant proportion by the end of this decade, is certainly realizable.

I welcome the measures that the Administration is focusing on. At the same time, I believe that we need to redouble our efforts to drastically reduce further the 36.1 per cent of those living in moderate and extreme poverty that has been recorded in the 2011 Guyana Millennium Development Goal Report.

Sugar Industry Turning to the sugar industry, Comrade Speaker, let us not fail to underline the importance of this industry; which has more than three and a half centuries of history, which is making a major contribution to the economic life of our country, and which is linked to almost every citizen of our land. The industry, we must remember, is our patrimony.

It is our sugar industry which - let us reflect - is linked to several of our national milestones, which we are proud of and which we celebrate.

As in colonial days, and forty-seven (47) years after independence, the sugar industry keeps serving our country in a multi-faceted way. Allow me, Comrade Speaker, to identify some of the pertinent data that shows its importance to our country • It employs, at peak periods during the year, as many as 18,000 persons • Most of its seven factories facilitate the canes grown by about 1,500 farmers • It is estimated that about 120,000 Guyanese - whether as employees, cane farmers, suppliers of materials, service providers and their dependents - benefit tangibly from the industry • As a nett foreign exchange earner, the industry accounts for a significant proportion of our country’s annual foreign exchange earnings • A significant proportion of the industry’s approximate multi-billion 12

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dollar revenue is circulated locally, thus enhancing all businesses • The industry’s expansive drainage network throughout the sugar belt facilitates the drainage of many surrounding villages. A pertinent question is: What would be the state of the drainage system in certain areas on the coast without the sugar industry?

• The yearly training of skilled graduates from the Port Mourant School benefits not only the industry, but many enterprises and others.

• Our internationally famous Demerara Rum, would be history withoutour sugar industry Comrade Speaker, the plight of the industry - after the beginning of its recovery in 1991 to the period 2002/2004, when its average annual production was 319,587 tonnes sugar - became manifest from 2005. In that year, production dipped to 246,089 tonnes sugar rather than being sustained between 275,000 and 300,000 tonnes. The new Skeldon Factory and the significant expansion of the estate’s cultivation and the farmers’ cultivations should have seen sugar production nearing 400,000 tonnes, a production level which the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) has itself set, but unfortunately is yet not within reach.

Last year’s poor sugar production of 218,064 tonnes, hopefully will not be the pattern and be repeated this year. With focus and pursuit of certain corrective remedies, the Minister’s stated 240,000 tonnes target as announced in the budget is not unrealizable. But all is not gloomy for the industry. A bright future awaits. Comrade Speaker, the price for our exported sugar is encouraging, and stands today at about 18 US cents per pound in the world market, and the prognosis is that the price will hold or even reach higher levels in the period ahead.

Comrade Speaker, permit me to examine the production performance of the industry in five-year intervals over the last twenty-five (25) years:• 1988 to 1992 average yearly production was 173,294 tonnes sugar • 1993 to 1997 – do – was 264,549 tonnes sugar • 1998 to 2002 – do – was 292,834 tonnes sugar • 2003 to 2007 – do – was 279,963 tonnes sugar • 2008 to 2012 – do – was 227,077 tonnes sugar Certainly, in view of such performance, one can justifiably conclude Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

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that the industry has the potential to recover once again to its high production point, as it did from 1991. In fact, its challenges today are not as daunting as they were in the period 1988 to 1992. Thus, Comrade Speaker, it is gladdening to learn of the Government’s commitment to once again make the industry one which will regain its pride of place in our country’s economic life. Workers from this industry, I am sure, will heartily welcome the investments the industry will receive expectedly.

The resources are there to turn around the beleaguered industry. The task is to get the work done, and to do it in a short span of time.

It is the agronomic aspect of the industry that has been fundamentally responsible for the depressed sugar production, and not, as some pointed out, the six old sugar factories, which I can say are adequately maintained. The new Skeldon factory, the seventh, was not helpful to higher production since it was commissioned in 2008. But we are told that it has been put almost right after a number of remedial works have been done in several areas. I am pleased to learn that during the first week of the factory’s operations, in the crop on week-ending March 30, 2013, the factory performed favourably.

Indeed, over a longer period of operation, a proper conclusion will then be possible to draw, and to determine whether the factory is performing in accordance with its design and expectations. But the signs are positive.

Labour Turnout Comrade Speaker, given the importance of the industry, allow me to briefly refer to an issue that keeps popping up in recent times. This issue relates to the poor labour turnout in the industry and its retarding effects on sugar production. Such an observation is not fully correct. As the industry mechanizes, especially with respect to cane harvesting and the mechanical loading of canes, the need for yesteryear’s cane cutting labour force, which is unavailable in adequate numbers, is no longer of grave importance. With the cane cutting labour force at the disposal of Guysuco, the Corporation managed to produce 72,316 tonnes sugar, an average production of approximately 9,039 tonnes sugar per week in favourable weather over an eight (8) week period during last year’s second crop.

Nevertheless, I must observe that there is indeed competition for the

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available workers. Thus, Guysuco’s wage rates must be more competitive to avoid a real threat from other employers looking for workers from a common pool.

Recovery of the Industry Comrade Speaker, much has been said of the challenges facing the sugar industry, but I remain confident that they can be overcome. The return to sustainability, however, must see action by the management in several areas.

Among these are: more attention in nurturing growing canes and the care of the fields; an evaluation of the skills and competence of those managerial staffers employed in the fields; full utilization of the Enmore Packaging Plant, a value-added source which can increase the revenue of the industry; expanding the cultivable land in keeping with the requirement for planting canes at Skeldon. Those measures, I submit, as well as others, will go a long way to achieve our desired objective, which at this time is the turnaround of the sugar industry.

Region #3 Comrade Speaker, as a Geographic Member of Parliament representing Region #3, I wish to refer briefly to some developments in that Region. As elsewhere in Guyana, progress and development continue in that heavilypopulated Region. Many roads, schools, bridges, health centres have been rehabilitated or constructed. Several housing schemes, including the larger ones at La Parfaite Harmonie and Tuschen, are providing greater housing accommodation to people within and without the region. The many and various farming, fishing, construction, infrastructural and business activities have resulted in the steady qualitative improvement in the residents’ lives. These activities also have had a transformative effect in the Region, and more and more, its past ugly features are relegated to history. In pursuit of its developmental agenda in 2012, the regional authority expended G$280.5M on capital works and G$2.797B on current expenditure, which turned out to be a great boost for its ongoing progress.

Last year saw a great emphasis placed on the health sector, resulting in the extension of the Wakenaam Hospital Laboratory, rehabilitation of the Sand Hills Health Post, construction of the Greenwich Park Health Post and the construction of a Health Centre at Parika. Significant

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attention was also paid to Drainage and Irrigation, and in the course of the year we saw the construction and repair of some kokers, revetments at Sisters Village and Leguan, drainage structures at Leguan, Hague, and De Kendren.

This year, other projects are in the pipeline and on the drawing board.

Without doubt, Region #3 can be considered one in which the state’s initiatives and the residents’ enterprising spirit combine to make steady progress a continuing reality of our region.

Income Tax Adjustment Last year, Comrade Speaker, workers across our country were delighted with the 25 per cent adjustment of the Income Tax Threshold, from $40,000 to $50,000 per month. This year, they will undoubtedly happily welcome the reduction of the personal income tax rate from 33 1/3 per cent to 30 per cent. It is small, but hopefully, just a start. This reduction in the rate, in fact, represents a 3 1/3 per cent wage/salary increase of all those who are required to pay income taxes. We hope that, in another year or two, the Government will further lower the percentage significantly. In this respect, I wish to again urge a reform of the tax system, to reflect a fair system which requires all to contribute. I see the benefit and fairness of a progressive tax system, which should be put on the table for discussion.

At this time, I also wish to urge that the Minister sees that the Tax Reform Committee get down to business and, within an acceptable period, it should be mandated to pronounce on its recommendations.

National Minimum Wage May I take the opportunity, Comrade Speaker, to say that the intention of the Government to announce a National Minimum Wage will be a laudable step, and will in all likelihood be supported by our Guyanese working class. It is no secret that there are unscrupulous employers around, and this can be one way to curtail the advantage they take on sections of the working class. I look forward for the early introduction of this measure.

Conclusion Comrade Speaker, I would not like to conclude my address without

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congratulating the Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, and his team and many others for the long, dedicated and productive work they would have done in providing us the 2013 National Budget.

The Budget is interesting in many ways. Its weighted perspectives signal where we are going, and I believe its perspectives will continue to be discussed beyond this Chamber of Parliament. The Budget underscores the buoyancy of our economy and, most importantly, recognizes that there are the poor and exploited still in our society, who require the state’s assistance; and it sought to lend a caring hand.

As we go forward in trying circumstances, the Minister of Finance says, in Budget 2013, that we need to face the challenges ahead together. I agree. Let us then forge that unity and struggle on for a future of greater prosperity.

Thank You.

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Address by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to Labour Day 2013 Rally, May 01, 2013 National Park, Georgetown

Introduction Comrades, another May Day is upon us. Like we are doing, millions of workers in about 80 countries on all continents are also celebrating this International Workers’ Day. The significance and traditions of May Day have endured in the working class movement for over 120 years now. It is a day to reflect on our struggles and victories; our setbacks and, indeed, the tasks and challenges ahead. It is a day in which, in the spirit of Proletarian Internationalism, we express and send our heartfelt solidarity to the exploited and oppressed of the world.

This year, our first expressions of solidarity are with our fellow workers of the developed capitalist world who, in their millions, find themselves unemployed, homeless, and increasingly poverty-stricken. We hail and support their courageous and pitched struggles against the twin-headed monster of inequality and austerity, unleashed on them by their ruling classes and spineless governments.

In these struggles, we see that the fighting traditions that gave rise to 18

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May Day are alive and very much with us in this 21st century. Such struggles, as well, nurture our hopes for a better world, one which is just and founded in peace.

At this time, we also extend revolutionary and fraternal greetings to all working people, youth and students; all peace activists, all democracyloving forces; all freedom fighters who, in their selfless actions, are sending serious warnings to the ruling elites in the developed and developing countries that a new day is dawning.

To our colleagues in FITUG, we extend a warm embrace. Indeed, to all working-people of Guyana and their families, we send May Day greetings on this historic day. The GAWU is of the view that we in Guyana have achieved much, but our accomplishments must not lull us into complacency. There is still much work to be done and many formidable challenges to face at several levels, but we must go forward; and in our onward march, let us always remember the values of our unity and militancy.

Comrades, we need to recall that this International Workers’ Day has its origins in the Chicago struggle of 1886, when 80,000 Chicagoans marched in the streets demanding 8 hours of work, 8 hours of leisure, and 8 hours of rest. Instead of meeting these just demands, the Establishment responded by brutal force, just as we see occurring today in several countries. Stem- ming from that brutal response, workers suffered injuries, imprisonment from trumped-up charges, and several leaders were martyred by the State.

The sordid events in Chicago inspired the Second International, a body of socialist and labour parties, at their Congress in 1887 to resolve that May 01, every year be observed as International Workers’ Day. In 1930, the Father of Trade Unionism in Guyana, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, and his Union, the British Guiana Labour Union (BGLU), began to observe this day; and, from 1958, the Government approved May 01 as a National Holiday.

International Situation Comrades, as we meet here today, the world situation continues to be gravely troubled. It seems that ‘crisis’ is everywhere. Instead of extricating

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itself from the economic/financial stormy waters in which it has trapped itself, global capitalism seems to be getting deeper into crisis. At the same time, we are witnessing a growth and expansion of US imperialist aggressiveness. This aggressiveness is being driven by its known desire for world domination, containing China now-a-days, and control of the strategic natural re- sources found in developing countries. Increasingly these days, we read that US aggressive actions are joined by mainly Great Britain and France. More and more today, political analysts are drawing attention to a return of colonialism, but with some new features. The old colonial culprits, defeated in freedom struggles and by liberation fighters, are coming back with their plundering ways intact, as we observe in several countries.

In fulfilling its geopolitical agenda and its hegemonic designs, imperialist wars, conflicts and war threats are continuing. Behind nicesounding justifications and deception, we can see the stark realities of their actions. Look what the US, its NATO allies and their puppets have done and are doing in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Palestine, Somalia, Mali, Syria; and now raising the war threat level in Iran, pursuing the doctrine of ‘Asia pivot’ in the Pacific and extending their military presence and adventures on the African continent. The devastation, destruction of social amenities, war crimes, slaughter of children and women that imperialist’s military might have incurred in many of these countries are indescribable. Such atrocities and terror and violence must affect us as workers; indeed, must affect the conscience of humanity.

On this May Day, GAWU unreservedly condemns imperialism’s wars, war- mongering, criminal atrocities, and flouting of international law.

We reiterate our firm support for peace, for freedom fighters, and for those defending their political and economic sovereignty.

To those countries charting an anti-imperialist, independent course of development and facing blatant destablisation activities from reactionary forces, as we presently see in Venezuela, we send our solidarity to them, and especially to the democratic forces of our neighbouring country.

We send also our congratulations and best wishes to the newly-elected President Maduro, the successor of that indomitable Latin American leader Hugo Chavez.

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Comrades, clearly imperialism looms large as mankind’s main enemy.

With an arsenal of diabolical weaponry, it struts the world stage, spreading destruction and instilling fear in all corners of our planet. Despite those subservient leaders who have found an accommodation to the capitalist/ imperialist world order, resistance of the peoples is growing and is being manifested in a variety of ways. As the winds of change are picking up, the forces of reaction are finding themselves hard-pressed to readily attain their objectives. There is every indication that the class struggles the world over are sharpening.

Europe and North America have become hotbeds of fierce class battles.

Today, the working people and students are fighting back against the harsh and heartless policies imposed on them by the ruling elites, and which are proving to be so ruinous to millions and their families.

Last year (2012) alone, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) estimated some 75 million workers lost their jobs. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) meanwhile reveals that there are currently some 397 million workers living in extreme poverty, and an additional 472 million who cannot meet their basic needs on a regular basis. In other words, 12 per cent of the world’s population live in families where at least one member is working, but they still struggle to gain access to decent housing, food and other necessities. The latest reports reaching our attention point out that, in Britain, 350,000 hungry Britons turned to Food Banks last year for food; while in the USA, a staggering 23 million households now rely on food stamps for survival.

Such statistics clearly expose and question the claim by many neoliberal economists about “an economic recovery”. To the contrary, those statistics are evidence that the developed world economy is still in the doldrums.

While the systemic economic crisis persists, alarmingly, we hear about in- creasing incidents of assault on democratic norms, especially in the USA. Civil liberties are being eroded, surveillance of citizens is becoming wide- spread, due process of those detained is not respected, stop-andsearch is prevalent, and President Obama asserts the right to determine which American citizen is targeted for assassination. The foundations of the Empire are shaking. The real capitalism is being increasingly exposed in all its nakedness.

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What must be noted and admired, comrades, is that the crisis has not led to despair. Indeed, workers and oppressed peoples are shrugging off their complacency and sluggishness, and we can see the awakening of a new militancy. These struggles are taking place in the developed world as well as in the developing world. We confront a common and formidable class adversary which will fight tooth and nail to protect their privileges, ill-gotten gains, and corrupt power. But with sound organization, discipline and unity, the workers - all working-people - can prevail in these struggles. Let us not forget that our own experiences teach us that the way forward is to go along the path of class struggles.

At this time, we must again raise our concern as citizens of Planet Earth over the growing threats to mankind’s existence. The prognosis by the scientific community remains dire, and urgent actions are required to prevent the ecological disasters and drastic climate change with all its alarming con- sequences which lie ahead. The Ecological question has risen to the top of humanity’s agenda. The balance between human society and nature must be reset.

Though disasters are now-a-days regular occurrences, capitalists and their political spokespersons still pay scant attention and devote meager resources to address this grave problem. We again condemn this neglectful attitude. For us, on the other hand, we see that our struggles for betterment and progress cannot be delinked from the overall struggles to save our common homeland – Planet Earth.

Local Situation Comrades, since last May Day, our country has seen progress. The evidence is in the growth of our economy. Last year was the seventh consecutive year of economic growth, which remains at an average of 4.48 per cent. This is remarkable in view of the continuing financial and economic crises engulfing the developed countries. At the same time, importantly, inflation remains within tolerable levels. From what the Minister of Finance tells us, our economy remains buoyant, and predictions for this year are optimistic.

The GAWU recognizes that Budget 2013 contains several measures that will benefit workers and pensioners. We welcome these, even as we believe much more could be done. We are supportive of the reduction of the personal income tax rate, the introduction of mortgage interest 22

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relief, ongoing subsidies to GPL and GWI, increase in pension benefits, among others. When assessed alongside some other budgetary measures, these would certainly bring much-needed relief to bear on thousands of beneficiaries.

But consideration of the Budget estimates became an occasion to transform our Parliament into a stage for melodrama. Like last year, when the united opposition scissored G$20 billion from the Budget, this year they moved to cut over G$30 billion, mainly in development projects.

And what constructive replacement did they offer for the projects cut?

Well, we are still awaiting answers.

The questions I ask, and all Guyanese working-people must ask themselves, are: Who loses when you stop the construction of a hospital, and one which is foreign funded too? Who in their majority must bear the burden of a possible increase of 17 per cent in electricity charges because of the G$5 billion budgetary cut? How many workers will now be denied employment due to the stoppage of the CJIA expansion venture? How many workers are likely to become jobless if the NCN and GINA are closed down?

The answers one inescapably comes up with is that the country suffers, the working people and the vulnerable in our society are the losers. It borders on disbelief that our fellow Guyanese, at our stage of development, can take such positions of short-sightedness. This does not augur well for our economy or our future. Maybe, comrades, there is more in the mortar than the pestle can pound.

Sugar Industry Comrades, as the Union representing the largest segment of workers in the sugar industry, we have anxieties over the prolonged setbacks that it is faced with. This industry is too important to our economy, and too much entangled with thousands of workers’ lives to perform so poorly.

While we express gratitude to the Government for its financial assistance and support, the time has come for collective action of the direct stakeholders to chart a path for the industry’s recovery. From our standpoint, the key problem of the industry is the inadequate supply of canes to the factories.

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This is not a problem that the industry’s long experiences and capabilities cannot handle. It needs to identify where the breakdowns are in the fields in every specific estate, and begin to apply the solutions. It needs committed personnel to take charge of this work, and it must rely in a big way on the workers to bring to bear their practical experiences.

The GAWU remains positive that the industry can perform far better than it is doing now. With focused attention, sugar production can, in all likelihood, climb out of its five (5) year average of 230,000 tonnes to reach 300,000 tonnes and above.

At this time, let me again sound our concern about those lurking to intrude on issues and problems of sugar workers, notwithstanding the representation that workers receive from elected shop stewards and Union officials. The intruders are up to no good, and clearly are seeking political mileage in their efforts to undermine GAWU. In their actions, they seek not to safe- guard workers, but to destroy their unity and solidarity – the main pillars of the workers’ strength.

Trade Union Unity Comrades, in yet another year, I wish to draw to your attention that the Guyanese working-class remains divided. This is an unsettling development in an otherwise proud history of the Guyanese workingclass. In our division, we are weak, and our individual struggles and demands bring small results, if any.

As we look around us, much is going on at the economic, political and social levels. What is taking place today will impact our lives tomorrow.

Given their strategic place in production and their numbers, workers in- deed, all working-people - should demand a bigger say in the various developments around them.

We need to influence policies, but we will only be heard if we speak with one voice. We need to influence the direction our country is going, but we can be effective only if we do so together. We need to express our views on the future to which we aspire, but we must do so with the strength that only our unity can provide.

There are those who benefit from our division, and ‘those’ are not us,

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the workers. In advocating the need for working-class unity and seeing the value and need to work and face challenges together, the GAWU hopes that fresh efforts can be made towards this end. Our disunity will only leave us as producers of wealth and providers of services for the enjoyment and enrichment of others.

Exploitation of Resources In recent times, we have noted the increased interest of foreign investors in our mining sector. We are pleased to know that our country can attract such investment. However, we must point out that investment is not all that matters. Other critical factors need to be considered in the exploitation of a country’s natural resources, which are owned by its people, and who should be widely consulted on its use.

Today, sad experiences abound in many countries over the extraction by foreign companies of their natural wealth while sections of the population languish in poverty, and in the process even losing their land and water, in some instances.

Some weeks ago, the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment is reported to have revealed, that in one location alone, an estimated four (4) million ounces of gold are expected, and additionally there may be copper also. This is good news. We may have found, not forgetting Omai, the elusive El Dorado after all these years. But then, our curiosity urges us to ask: what is Guyana’s take in this and other possible bountiful finds? Realistically, we recognize that investors expect profits on their investment. Realistically, too, a people seeks the optimum returns from the wealth they own.

In our developing state - with poverty still uncomfortably high in spite of the steep reduction in recent years, with our expanding social needs, with so much still not done in infrastructure and with an eye on the future - it seems that our natural and national wealth has a significant role in our present and future all-round development. Those charged with the management of our resources may wish to be guided by such sentiments, and moreover not ignore the present experiences of other countries, often bitter and from history.

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Conclusion Comrades, as we celebrate May Day 2013, we should be mindful of the arduous path we travelled, the achievements we are proud of, and the goals yet to be reached. We still have many and various battles to fight. In our ranks, for example, are many who are underpaid due to the absence of a considered minimum wage. We must ensure that this issue is dealt with urgently. As workers, we need to be more assertive in demanding our rights, and insist that we be involved in the decisionmaking processes in our workplaces and at various levels of society.

We need to work with all, and particularly with our natural allies, the farmers, for and in specific tasks, and also in general social matters. We cannot remain on the sidelines, we must speak up and speak out.

As we know, international solidarity is an integral aspect of May Day. Among the GAWU’s expressions of solidarity, Socialist Cuba and the Palestinian peoples’ cause have a special place. They continue, and today even more so, to deserve our firmest solidarity.

Today’s world conditions do not call for complacency, but for struggle.

Capitalism/imperialism is in a bind, but is still reckless and fighting fiercely. However, workers of the world have unfurled the banner of struggle. The spirit of Chicago 1886 lives in our times. We, too, in Guyana must stand up and be counted. We, too, seek a world order which is founded on peace, social and economic justice, and free of oppression and exploitation. Let us, comrades, strive for a society and a global order in which people, not profits, are of primary concern.

Long live Guyana’s Working People! Long live FITUG!

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Address by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to Enmore Martyrs 2013 Rally June 16, 2013 Enmore Martyrs Monument Square, ECD

Introduction Enmore, as we know, has carved out an honoured place in the annals of the sugar industry. It gave us the Enmore Martyrs, whose courageous struggles constitute an inspiring chapter of Guyana’s history, and at that time gave impetus to our people’s fight for freedom. That memorable event took place sixty-five (65) years ago. A new generation of workers now work in the fields and factory of Enmore estate, but the memory of the Martyrs has not faded. Their heroism and sacrifice continue to earn the respect of workers across the industry and, indeed, our nation.

For us in the GAWU, one of the Unions in the sugar industry, celebrating the Enmore Martyrs is of special significance. As our nation observes the 65th Anniversary of the martyrdom of Cdes Rambarran; Lall, called Pooran; Lallabajie Kissoon; Surujballi, called Dookie; and Harry, who were all martyred on that fateful day, on June 16, 1948, by the colonial police, in defending the sugar plantocracy, let us briefly recall that period Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

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and the workers’ struggles that engulfed Enmore and the plantations along the East Coast.

By 1948, dissatisfaction in the sugar plantations was deep-seated and widespread. Pay levels and working conditions, especially in the cane fields of the plantations, were atrocious. So, too, were the living conditions of the workers. The colonial planters seemingly appeared unconcerned, and the cries for improvement received hardly any attention or meaningful sympathy. In the world of workers, this set of circumstances is usually volatile, and it tends to prompt workers, into taking strong actions, as we see even in our day. This general dissatisfaction of the workers arising from their miserable working and living conditions, was aggravated when cane cutters were required to undertake additional work without adequate compensation. The cutters were required to abandon the old system of ‘cut and drop’ and adopt the new ‘cut and load’ system.

Under the new system, the cane cutters were now expected to cut canes and load same into the punts, thus replacing the customary practice of placing the cane on the dam bed for others to load into punts. This was clearly intensifying the exploitation of the workers without the promise of increase in wages. The workers then sought recourse to strike action, which proved contagious, as it quickly spread to several estates along the East Coast of Demerara.

The strike itself began on 22nd April, 1948 and spread to many East Coast sugar plantations, including Non Pareil, Lusignan, Mon Repos, La Bonne Intention (LBI), Vryheid’s Lust and Ogle. As the weeks progressed, the strike gained momentum. The workers remained steadfast in their struggle and support came from the public, the Guiana Industrial Workers Union (GIWU) - the forerunner of GAWU - and leaders of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), which was formed in 1946. On 16th June, 1948 the strike reached a high point. The workers decided on that day to advance their protest actions through a march to the Estate’s factory compound. There they were confronted by the colonial police, and they held back and decided to retreat. The police nevertheless opened fire. Some workers were shot in their backs. A number of workers were injured, and five attained martyrdom.

Did the Enmore Martyrs die in vain? I venture to say an emphatic no. Undoubtedly, their contribution to the overall advancement of

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working class struggles in Guyana is immeasurable. I daresay the incident surrounding the Enmore Martyrs had a lasting effect on the lives of numerous people, including Dr Cheddi Jagan, who in his lifetime became the Honorary President of GAWU. As he subsequently would say, the Enmore workers’ struggle, at the political level, fortified his commitment to carry on the struggle against colonialism and for freedom. Two years after Enmore, Dr Jagan was to transform the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in 1950. Thus a reinvigorated struggle for freedom from British colonial rule, domination and oppression was inspired.

Cde Ashton Chase, O.E., in his seminal work, ‘A History of Trade Unionism in Guyana, 1900 to 1961; acknowledges: “In Dr Jagan, the workers found an outstanding champion of their rights… On many occasions single- handedly, but nevertheless most heroically and inspiringly, he fought for the workers’ right.”

The fallen Enmore heroes certainly impacted the many economic, social and political struggles that followed in our country for social and economic justice and all-round betterment. The struggles of 1948 importantly exposed the callous colonial state and the anti-workers’ nature of the plantocracy. It forced the Colonial Office to promptly appoint a Commission of Inquiry, known as the Venn Commission, to enquire into wage levels, working conditions at the plantation, and other relevant matters. The Commission made a number of recommendations, among which were:- the supply of potable water at convenient points on estates; the clearance of ranges or logies and the re-housing of occupants; the establishment of community centres, crèches and sports grounds with suitable facilities; the appointment of Welfare Officers to each Estate, among other things.

In the final analysis, the 1948 struggle left a legacy of militancy and activism for workers to follow. Following Enmore 1948, the sugar industry has seen numerous struggles and many episodes that showed workers’ fighting spirit in defence of their interests. It is in those struggles – sometimes bitter, like the fight for GAWU’s recognition – that betterment and improvement in working and living conditions have been won.

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Notwithstanding several spectacular gains in the industry, we in the industry still have reasons to fight on. While a more worker-friendly environment exists today, which we appreciate, the industry as well as those who depend on it still have difficulties to overcome.

Guyana Today Today, six and a half decades after that historic struggle, our country undoubtedly has advanced on many fronts, especially at the economic level. But threats of one kind or another hover over our heads. A major task before the working people, then, is to safeguard our achievements scored through sacrifices, sweat and tears of many from the ranks of the working class.

Even as we seek to protect our gains, we are also saddled with the compelling task to ensure continuous development and progress of our country. These are quite formidable objectives, given that we live in a crisis-ridden world and in a country where political disharmony, since 2012, is certainly affecting the welfare and lives of the Guyanese working people.

As a Union that has engaged in struggles, from Enmore to the present, we are fully aware of the costs and trials these battles for betterment entail.

Thus we are saddened when attempts are made to slash development projects and create conditions which would bring hardships, add to the burdens, and contribute to raising the cost-of-living of the working people. Those who, for whatever reason/s, seek to take our country down this road, are in all certainty taking our country down a backwardlooking path.

The GAWU feels that, in these times, we and the country must go forward, not backward. The Enmore Martyrs struggled to improve their lot. Let us all be true to that spirit; let us set our sights on a brighter future.

Comrades, let us remind ourselves that a mere eighteen (18) years after history gave us the Enmore Martyrs, and sixteen (16) years after the PPP came into being, Guyana attained independence. Centuries of colonial exploitation and oppression came to an end. Thus one can reasonably conclude that while immediate economic interests were uppermost in

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the minds of the workers’ struggle in 1948, their militancy and heroism triggered a new phase of intense freedom struggles that brought the nightmare of colonialism to an end.

As we celebrate Enmore Martyrs, we should also be mindful of the decisive contribution the Guyanese working people, going back to the days of slavery, made to burst asunder the shackles of colonial bondage and for freedom. The 1948 struggle gave us a bird’s eye view of how cruel colonial rule was. The sugar plantations were foreign-owned, but the work in the fields and factories was carried out by thousands of local labourers. The wealth created by this back-breaking toil largely went to the foreign owners, the plantocracy, who made up the colonial class then.

And when the workers opposed more burdensome working conditions or asked for livable wages to ease life’s pressures, they were ignored generally, faced repression, or were given a hail of bullets instead, as in the case of Enmore. It is instructive to underline that the colonialists came not only for our resources, but came also with their soldiers and gunboats to protect their interests. At Enmore, we see, moreover, how they utilized local forces that they trained and armed to suppress people’s legitimate demands for fair treatment and social justice.

Today, when neo-colonialism has resurfaced in the world, grabbing developing countries’ resources, sometimes taken by force or given on a platter by tamed leaders and weak governments, we need to pay greater attention to that dark colonial era, the experiences of which can make us better under- stand our troubled times, and be alert to the heightened threats and dangers against which we are certainly not insulated.

Sugar Industry Comrades, while the nation embraces and gives recognition to the significance of the Enmore struggles as a landmark juncture in our history, we of the GAWU cannot ignore the fact that the sugar industry was central to those struggles.

Generations of workers and their families suffered immensely to keep the wheels of that industry turning, thus making a major contribution to Guyana’s economy. This is one reason why we are disheartened by the difficulties the industry is currently experincing.

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The industry’s history is said to mirror our nation’s history. Its development and progress over the last three and a half centuries is largely responsible for thousands of slaves and indentured labourers being brought to our country, and their descendants becoming its economic lifeline. Sugar played a pivotal role in building our economy, and through the cruelty of slavery and indentureship and exploitation, sugar assisted to enrich our colonial masters in Europe.

Today, forty-seven (47) years after independence, the sugar industry continues to serve our country in a multi-faceted way; therefore, we cannot allow the industry to fail, its impact will be nothing short of devastating. There is an urgent need to once more bring production to levels whereby, with the continuing almost favourable prices, the industry would once again perform profitably and offer significant benefits to those dependent on it. This is not a time for complacency in the industry. We are of the view that its difficulties are demanding, but not overwhelming. Let us draw a lesson from the Enmore Martyrs, and go forward boldly and unitedly.

Conclusion Comrades, the Enmore Martyrs and the 1948 struggle, like so many heroic struggles previously and after, have enriched and made us proud of our history. In the face of today’s many and varied challenges, we can draw inspiration from them and in our past to face up to those challenges uncompromisingly and with dignity. Like the sugar industry, our country, has arrived at a critical crossroad on the road to progress.

The spirit of nation-building and greater progress is being overtaken, it seems, by self-interests and narrow political ambitions. We must take note of this, but also take heart in the belief that the obstructionists to progress will have their schemes aborted. The Enmore Martyrs, once more, showed that we can overcome adversities and win out if our demands and struggles are just. This is their abiding lesson to us.

Thus, in our times, we can point to the ongoing relevance of the Enmore Martyrs. This enduring message we should not forget. The working people must be always vigilant, militant, organizationally strong and united, and must always raise the banner of solidarity.

Long live the memory of the Enmore Martyrs!

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Address by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to WFTU Presidential Council meeting February 14 and 15, 2014 Rome, Italy

On behalf of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), I bring to the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) Presidential Council, and in particular Union of Auditors of Base (USB), warmest greetings of solidarity. Meeting at this time affords me the opportunity to extend to all participants of this Council meeting best wishes for the New Year.

Our 21st century has turned fourteen (14). The ‘New World Order’ which was heralded at the end of the previous century has revealed its horrid and inhumane forms. As we are well aware, this ‘Order’ is really ensuring the perpetuation and continuing domination of the capitalist/ imperialist system. It is a system we know all too well. Karl Marx, and later Lenin, analysed its underpinnings, and those analyses still serve us, a major segment of the international working class, as a guide in our general struggles and in the changing circumstances and specific conditions.

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Though exposed, discredited and widely rejected today, capitalism/ imperialism’s grip on the ‘World Order’ remains tight. Indeed, in several respects, we are seeing its deathly tentacles enmeshing other countries, and its voracious appetite for profits and strategic resources, regardless of the consequences, not diminishing. All of this again confirms to the view that the ruling, exploiting class will stop at no crime to protect and further its social status and economic interests.

As we start a new year, we need to remain focused on those features of our day that have occasioned such great disasters, while pushing our world inexorably towards a dangerous precipice.

Capitalism’s economic crisis, which is having a dire impact on the lives of workers and their dependents, on our youth and their future, and on pensioners, is still very much with us. Wars of aggression remain on imperialism’s agenda, and we see the carnage and the extent of violence in the wake of the ‘humanitarian missions’ carried out by the US-NATO military forces, particularly in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

Drone attacks continue to take a toll on children, women and civilians in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.

Concern is growing over France’s military assertiveness in Africa, which one plausible view contends is to secure its geo-political sphere while seeking to ensure that the strategic resources of those countries it occupies are not encroached upon by US or other corporations. President Obama’s “Asian Pivot” is taking shape, and is seemingly revolving around an increase of US military presence and activities in the Pacific region; and the pursuit - in relative secrecy - of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement. With respect to Syria, the search for peace and solutions in Geneva proved elusive, and the proxy war in the country goes on, with largely foreign mercenaries being fuelled and financed by certain reactionary regimes, with horrible crimes being committed, and with disastrous consequences for Syria and the Syrian people.

A notable development in recent months is the exposure of the global surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA) of the US and its other partners in the ‘Five Eyes’ club. Several world leaders and the en- tire world’s people are spied upon. We must forcefully condemn and fight this latest assault on people’s liberties and rights. We must

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be mindful of the installation of various mechanisms which will serve the hegemonic dreams of the capitalist rulers and their agents. Apart from the far-reaching implications of this development, let us also point out that the very countries which endlessly proclaim, especially to the developing world, to be the foremost promoters of ‘democracy’, ‘rule-oflaw’, ‘human rights’, ‘freedoms’, etc have turned out to be, as it suits them, principal violators of those lofty values of human civilization.

Clearly, our world continues to be in a grave state. Whether the issues are socio-economic, wars and war crimes, ecological, looting of resources, disregarding international laws, undermining of rights and liberties, destabilization of countries, and promotion of extreme-right and fascists forces in countries, much of the blame can be placed at the doorstep of the capitalist/ imperialist system, helped along by its allies and vassals, main sections of the media and timid political leaders.

Despite the economic, military and media power at its disposal, the capitalist system is being challenged on several fronts. The forces advocating change are growing. There is vitality in the resistance and struggles mounted by the working-class and democratic and broad progressive forces both in the developed and developing world.

Of the range of issues before us, inequality and unemployment rose to the fore of recent. Both are vexing issues for the working people. The latest Oxfam reports tell us, for instance, that the wealth of the richest one (1) per cent in the world amounts to $110 trillion, or 65 times as much as the poorest half of the world. No doubt, it is such stark realities of today that prompted Pope Francis to identify inequality as the main source of social ills, and which needs to be addressed. As the world’s richest grow richer, the number of unemployed, on the other hand, is also growing, says the ILO, which points out that some 839 million workers lived with their families on less than US$2 per day in 2013.

In spite of imperialism and its puppets’ machinations, the general democratic struggles are moving ahead. The election results in Chile and in Venezuela’s local elections, as well as the preliminary results in El Salvador and Costa Rica in recent weeks, show that the progressive trend in Latin America and the Caribbean remains viable. The declaration from the just concluded Community of Latin American and Caribbean

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States (CELAC) meeting of thirty-three (33) countries, held in Cuba, spoke to the commitment to peace and solidarity with Cuba was, in essence, anti-imperialist.

In these peoples’ struggles, the working class plays a major and often leading role. The WFTU has been consistent in its support and solidarity with the genuine struggle of working peoples. The prospect that there will be an increase of these struggles is ever present. In such circumstances, and as a highly respected world organization, the WFTU must be ready to handle the fresh demands that it may be called upon to shoulder. Undoubtedly, our past experiences throughout our long and rich history will serve us well in our future struggles. Next year (2015), we will observe our seventieth (70th) anniversary. History informs us that among the many representatives at the foundation Congress, there were two (2) from Guyana; and our bonds have since remained intact and have become stronger.

The work programme for 2014 covers much, but it underlines the extent of the work on hand and before us. In our favour is the sharpening of the working-class struggle in various regions. Moreover, we should find it encouraging that, more and more, the call for socio-economic changes is heard in various quarters. Let us be reminded that unity of the diverse forces active today will strengthen the drive for profound change, and we need to work to this end. 2014 holds out great promise for the WFTU and the world’s working-people to advance to peace, economic justice and an alternative world order.

Unitedly, let us continue to work towards these objectives. Let unity and struggle continue to guide us.

Long live the WFTU

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Address by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to Rose Hall Martyrs commemoration activity March 09, 2014 Rose Hall Martyrs Monument Site, Canje, Berbice

The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is pleased to extend greetings to all of you present here, and feels honoured to be invited to participate in this activity that tells yet another story of the heroism and sacrifices linked to the sugar industry.

Today’s activity takes us back to one hundred and one (101) years ago.

Rose Hall Plantation was in foment; workers’ struggles for betterment and resistance to inhuman living conditions were an integral part of plantation life. On this occasion their struggle ended in carnage. We have come to learn that, on this occasion, fifteen (15) workers were killed, including a woman who was shot in her stomach, and forty-one (41) received serious injury. At the time, it was perhaps the deadliest indenture-era suppression of unrest in the Caribbean and elsewhere.

What happened here over a century ago represents one of the several other class confrontations that erupted in our country during this period.

The records reveal that, in 1872, five workers were killed at Devonshire Castle; in 1879, five at Non-Pareil; in 1903, eight at Friends; in 1912, one Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

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at Friends and one at Lusignan. After indentureship, thirteen were killed at Ruimveldt in 1924, and four at Leonora in 1939.

At this time, we specifically give recognition and pay tribute to those who fell at Plantation Rose Hall. They left a legacy which runs through the veins of the contemporary workforce of the sugar industry. This occasion, furthermore, affords us the platform to remember with fondness and pride those who also courageously fought and heroically fell in the struggles in other plantations in other parts of the country.

These fallen workers remind us that sugar’s history is enriched by the struggles, sacrifices, and the sweat and blood of the working class. That spirit continues throughout the years since that time, and pleasingly, I note, survives to this day in the industry.

But as we cast our minds backwards, we must not fail to recognize that the shooting down of workers seemed the preferred method of suppression in the colonial context. This kind of relations between plantation owners and their workers typify a major feature of the system of colonialism.

Expressed in another way, we can say that this was the inhuman relations between owners driven by the urge to make huge profits and workers, whether as slaves, indentured labourers or wage earners, whose brutal exploitation was the primary source of such profits.

We must take note of this and all aspects of colonial conditions and reactions of the past. The colonial structure globally has been largely dismantled today, but dangers still linger. In recent times, analysts have drawn attention to a resurgence of neo-colonialism, especially in the former colonial territories, and primarily in those countries with strategic resources.

The memory of those we honour today at Plantation Rose Hall and other locations has served to jerk us back to the reality that a new colonialism is stalking the developing world – already devouring the resources of several countries, and doing so through unheard-of violence and mindboggling exploitation of many, utilizing the technological progress of today in the process.

One hundred (100) years ago, it was Plantation Rose Hall which wrote a

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glorious page of our history. Fifty (50) years ago, it was Leonora Estate, where the heroine Kowsilla was crushed to death by a tractor while giving solidarity to striking workers. And the narrative of our rich and proud history goes on, reaching a high point in Enmore in 1948, and which our nation celebrates at Enmore Martyrs.

Today, the industry that has witnessed such inspiring exploits of ordinary men and women is facing new challenges. Though formidable, the GAWU holds firmly to the view that these challenges are neither impossible nor daunting. It would require, however, a collective approach coming from the essential stakeholders. All must play their part.

Our times, in many ways, differ from those times which occasioned our presence here today. Conditions are not the same, and the demands before us are generally different. However, we believe too, that the selfsacrificing sprit and ability to confront today’s challenges and to succeed are very much alive. Our collective efforts can very well bring about the achievements we want. From the Union’s perspective, we see the workers playing a more hand-on and focused role in the factories and the fields, but optimum results can be guaranteed only if that workforce is a reasonably satisfied workforce. Unlike that section of the powerful that sees doom and gloom for the industry, the GAWU is optimistic about the future. It is too important an industry to be allowed to go under. We can do it; we owe it to the memory of those like these workers of Rose Hall Canje to make the industry a viable one. Comrades, I urge: let us face the challenges. We will go forward, I am sure.

Comrades, in the time that has elapsed since the historic and eventful times at Rose Hall Estate, the workers in the industry and the industry itself have advanced in several ways. Indeed, the workers of Guyana have scored no- table achievements, as is true also of the international working-class.

Over the last six (6) years, however, the ruling-classes of the world, much like the owner-class that snuffed out the lives of those Rose Hall workers, have unleashed new assaults on workers and other segments of the population. This is most glaring in several countries of Europe, North American and other regions.

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In these times, and in the face of such attacks, we must be vigilant. It is in this context, also, that we see the significance of the fallen workers we commemorate. Their enduring message we should not forget: the working class must be always vigilant, militant, organizationally strong and united, and must raise the banner of solidarity always.

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Contribution by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to 2014 National Budget Debates April 03, 2014 Parliament of Guyana, Public Building Georgetown Comrade Speaker, Members of the National Assembly, I take this opportunity to support the 2014 Budget presented to this National Assembly by the Honourable Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh. In this Budget 2014 presentation, the Minister has indeed covered a lot of ground regarding the country’s economic state. The statistics provided, though they can be overwhelming, give us a better understanding and a clearer picture of where we are at this time. In several areas we see real growth, and I join in applauding such achievements.

Indeed, Comrade Speaker, given the growth rate of last year, the size of the proposed budget, and its projections for the months ahead, the trend seems to be upbeat and positive.

Budget 2014 indicates consistency. Given its thrust, its focus, its intentions; in my general assessment, the Government is staying the course. The innovations it envisages fit into the course charted. With greater certainty, we can today say that we are more and more distancing ourselves from that time when economic stagnation, hardship conditions and a bleak future were aspects of life’s realities. Hopefully, such experiences will remain in our past.

The Budget’s theme, “A Better Guyana for All Guyanese”, grips interest.

It implies, for me, inclusivity. And the words, carefully chosen I believe, should be emphasized and, I urge, be our guide in our economic and other endeavours. When considered alongside last year’s theme, we get a lofty political statement; one which is not only relevant, but also which, in light of our current exceptional politics, deserves our adherence.

The Minister’s speech informed us that the economic crisis that hit the developed capitalist countries since around 2008 may be receding.

There are signs of an economic ‘recovery’. While this should be taken

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as a positive development, given the global reach of that crisis and its attendant hard-ships, one cannot ignore the other manifestations of that crisis. We need to inquire, for instance, whether the expected ‘recovery’ will restore homes to the millions of the homeless who are forced to live in night shelters, streets and tents. Or how soon will it provide employment with decent wages and give back dignity to the millions of jobless, the ranks of whom will increase this year, according to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO’s) Global Employment Trends 2014 report. We should also be aware that the streets of many countries are still alive with mass demonstrations of working people and students, who are struggling to shake off the austere burdens placed on their backs by ruling elites. A ‘recovery’ should no doubt impact such realities; but it seems, Comrade Speaker, that they will not soon or easily go way. And importantly, let us not fail to see the dangers and traps that countries that befall chose the path of neo-liberalism.

As we follow economic questions and how they are playing out on the international stage, we should be mindful that there are other issues that warrant our attention. Allow me, Comrade Speaker, to refer to one. This year marks one hundred (100) years since the First World War started. It was an imperialist war that brought in its wake the slaughter of millions and untold destruction.

After this, there was the Second World War, and now-a-days we see an aggravated world situation where a prolonged economic/financial crisis provides fodder for a pervasive war machine that is roaming and spreading conflicts in several regions of our planet. Will these military activities trigger off another world conflagration? The threat is there; we must work to avoid it. Otherwise, Comrade Speaker, our dreams for “A Better Guyana for All Guyanese” and a prosperous and productive future can well go up in flames.

Social Sectors Comrade Speaker, the Budget once again puts much emphasis on the Social Sectors. We know that these sectors are linked to the quality of life we enjoy. Expenditure in these sectors is probably the clearest expression and our best indicator that the working people and poor have not been forgot- ten. The sum of $85.7B is allocated to these sectors. Given our developing status, this is not a small amount. It demonstrates the

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Government’s commitment to ease the hardships of our hard-pressed people.

The housing sector continues to show progress. Thousands of Guyanese to-day have become home owners. It is an indicator of a rise in living standard, and here the Guyana Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper: 20082012 states, when it is interestingly observed, that “more than threequarters of the poor had their own dwellings in 2006, with adequate rooms for occupants and bathrooms”. The introduction of the Mortgage Interest Relief initiative last year, which supports the Commercial Banks and the New Building Society loan policies, makes home ownership no longer a luxury, but has been brought within the reach of the working man and woman. That worthy goal of the past– to house the nation – is today increasingly being realized.

As with housing, similar strides have been made in the water sector. Over the year, much was accomplished in the installation, modernization and rehabilitation of this sector. In this respect, the Guyana Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper 2008-2012 state that the “significant progress made, especially in hinterland and rural coastal communities, has resulted in about sixty-three (63) per cent of the poor having access to potable water.”

By 2006, Comrade Speaker, some 91 per cent of households in Guyana had access to SAFE drinking water, a significant increase, as against 50 per cent in 1990, according to our Guyana Millennium Development Goals’ Report 2011.

The same positive trends can be seen in Education, Health and in regard to Pension. These are improvements and expansions that are on-going.

Taken cumulatively, they have a major impact on poverty. Thus, in the twenty-two (22) years of the PPP/Civic Administration, 39 per cent of our population were taken out of poverty, according to the Guyana Millennium Development Goals’ Report 2011. With this Budget, I believe there would be a further reduction in the level of poverty in our country.

With such noteworthy accomplishments, we cannot turn the Nelson’s eye to the major role of the state, its institutions, and the political leadership.

In their hands are some of the biggest enterprises of the country, and they managed them reasonably well and in the people’s interest. Often,

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things are taken for granted, and we fail to give the deserved recognition to the state, the importance and performance level of those who must ensure the various systems work. In this regard, we must be wary of those who would wish to make everything - including Health and Education - into commodities whereby profit, rather than people’s welfare and wellbeing, is being pursued.

Sugar Industry Comrade Speaker, in the recent weeks and months, much attention has been paid to our nation’s sugar industry. Such interest, I would think, is not unexpected when the significance and enormity of the industry is taken into account. Certainly, the industry’s performance in recent times has raised red flags and has caused many, especially the stakeholders, to become concerned. It has caused, at times, persons to call for the industry’s closure and/ or privatization.

Lately, we have heard of suggestions that the industry should move away from sugar production and venture into other areas, such as ethanol and aquaculture. I share the concerns, but do not agree with the solutions advanced. It is true that production has fallen and GuySuCo could not have met its 240,000-tonne production target in 2013, especially when note is taken of its field and factories’ capacities and capabilities. But I hold the view that the several factors responsible for this poor performance can be identified, and ought to be addressed in a more purposeful way.

The Budget Speech identified some of the steps to be taken at this time, and I wish to emphasize the importance of appointing a new Board of Directors for GuySuCo in these challenging times.

Comrade Speaker, I am optimistic that the industry’s turnaround is within our possibilities. Such a feat has been done before. Recall, Comrade Speaker, that between the latter 80s and early 90s, average production dwindled to 154,740 tonnes between 1988 and 1991. However, between 2002 and 2004, average sugar production rose to 319,587 tonnes, the gradual reversal beginning in 1992. This industry can do this again, I am certain.

At this time, we cannot fail to recall that the industry remains an important and intrinsic component of not just our economy, but of Guyana’s social fabric. Its development and progress over the last three

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and a half centuries are largely responsible for thousands of slaves and indentured labourers being brought to our country. For their descendants, the industry has become their economic lifeline.

Today we should not downplay the fact that, even at this time, the industry continues to serve our country in a multifaceted way, which the Minister reminds us of in his Budget Speech. In one way or another, Comrade Speaker, tens of thousands of Guyanese depend on the industry’s operations.

At this time, and with so much at stake, it is incumbent upon us, Comrade Speaker, to continue to actively support the industry. In passing, let me recall the industry’s direct support to our country through the extractive and onerous Sugar Levy, which saw billions of dollars being channelled to the Consolidated Fund; its role in producing thousands of artisans from its Port Mourant Training Centre; and the provision of land for housing. The Government has shown its supportive hand, I urge that we all do so too. In so doing, consideration should be given to the disbursements from the EU Ac- companying Measures programme, which is intended essentially to sustain and help the industry to become competitive and sustainable once again. For those who have a negative view of the industry’s prospects, it is unfortunate. It is still a viable venture, and with good guidance and leadership, can regain its rightful place in our nation’s economy.

Region #3 Comrade Speaker, as a Member of Parliament representing Region Three (3), its many-sided activities are obviously of special interest to me.

Region Three (3), as we know, is rather extensive and is the third most populated of our ten (10) regions – two factors that are unhelpful for administration and in carrying on representational work. But it is a region where its citizens are enterprising. As a neighbour, and with ease of access to our capital, its residents are a main contributor to Georgetown’s many-sided activities.

The region itself is thriving. Workers, farmers, the self-employed and small family enterprises are the mainstay of its economic life, making Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

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their invaluable contribution to our overall growth and up-keeping a vibrant economy.

Social and physical infrastructural works by the Government and Regional Administration are today standard activities within the region.

Over the years, such activities have served to change the environment and general looks of various villages, while at the same time enhancing our citizens’ well-being. The focus on infrastructure, in practical terms, means paved streets, excavation of canals, extending and equipping health outposts and hospitals to facilitate health services to reach more people; rehabilitation and construction of schools going side by side with expanding water services and distribution of house lots, more so at La Parfaite Harmonie and Tuschen.

As with last year, this Budget promises projects that will continue to see improvements in Region Three (3) and usher in more changes. In the coming period, we look forward eagerly to the completion of the athletic track at Leonora, the construction of a new power-plant at Vreed-enHoop, and the beginning of works on the road from Vreed-en-Hoop to Parika. Hopefully, too, we may also see progress on the stated intention to build a new Demerara Harbour Bridge.

Looked at in totality, Comrade Speaker, Region Three (3) is continuing to grow. Ups and downs notwithstanding, in my Region, progress is continuing.

National Minimum Wage Comrade Speaker, you may recall that in my last year’s intervention on that Budget, I raised the call for a National Minimum Wage to be implemented. This progressive measure has since been introduced in our country and I wish to express appreciation at the introduction of a national mini- mum wage. For those employers who may be reluctant to implement it, I now take the opportunity to urge the Labour Minister that, with the set-up mechanisms, systemic and legal, his Ministry must ensure full enforcement.

Tax Reform At this time, I feel constrained to express disappointment that the 46

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Income Tax threshold has not been further adjusted. Moreover, I am also disappointed to learn that the Tax Reform alluded to two (2) years ago has not been realized. I urge the Minister to intervene here and by the time of the next Budget, the long-awaited reform will see the light of day.

Conclusion In his speech, the Minister of Finance called attention to a couple of historic accomplishments. Allow me to add another, Comrade Speaker.

This is, I believe, the eighth (8th) budget presentation of the Minister.

For the PPP/ Civic Administration, he is the longest serving Finance Minister, a signal accomplishment. And it is notable also for yet another reason: he has held on to that post when, it is generally believed, Ministers of Finance have a short life span in governments. I congratulate him.

But apart from the recognition of personal accomplishments, sparkling as those maybe, our history can also be enduringly served by heeding other calls – the calls for integrity, for national unity, for social progress, among other just causes. Thus I say: let us face the challenges ahead together, and thus ensure a Better Guyana for All Guyanese.

Thank you.

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Address by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to Labour Day 2014 Rally May 01, 2014 National Park, Georgetown

Under our May Day Theme: “Advancing Workers Interest for Future Development”, allow me to greet you and all Guyanese workers on this red- letter day when we join with workers in a number of countries, who, like us, are celebrating and observing this day. GAWU is pleased to see your response today. It shows the unity of the Unions belonging to FITUG, whose members have just marched in an orderly way from Independence Ground and covered many streets in Georgetown.

Comrades, this tradition of May Day, we recall, has revolutionary beginnings. It goes back to May 01, 1886, when workers in Chicago, USA started a general strike for an eight-hour work day. Two (2) days later, the police, as usual, were unleashed on them, killing six (6) workers. On May 04, a protest rally took place in a square called Haymarket. At that rally, a bomb exploded, and the very large contingent of police who were in readiness went into action, engaging in more shootings, beatings and brutality. Eight of the strike leaders were arrested that day. Of them, four were sent to the hang-man’s noose. As they went to their deaths, they were singing the revolutionary song called the Marseillaise. And one of

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them, August Spies, before life was squeezed out of him, shouted these words: “The time will come when our silence will be more powerful than the voices you strangle today.”

Thus working-class history refers to the Haymarket Martyrs from whence came May Day. The decision to name May 01 as International Day of Workers was taken in 1889 at a meeting of Socialist parties, known as the Second International, to honour the struggles and martyrdom of those who sacrificed so much to better their lives, and in the process better the lives of workers everywhere.

But comrades, those history-making and inspiring events occurred one hundred and twenty-eight years ago. During this time, many battles have been fought by the working-people and oppressed worldwide, and many gains have been made too. But some critical things remain the same.

As we follow the developments of today, much of the experiences of a century and a quarter ago are again replayed, albeit in a new and different context.

The working class, youth, students and pensioners again find themselves at the centre of class struggles raging in different corners of the world.

International Situation Comrades, at the international level, fast-moving developments are taking place. Anxieties over our world’s direction are still uppermost on peoples’ minds. The world situation remains complicated, yet one can see with growing clarity trends and patterns that are defining our times.

Ever since the break-up of the world socialist system a little over two (2) decades ago, US imperialism has run roughshod across our planet.

It saw new opportunities to impose the neo-liberal model of capitalism on countries, to realize its age-old dream of world domination, and to cast its greedy eyes on the resources owned by the peoples. In its triumphalism, it took the title as the ‘sole superpower’, and is seen as such. For those who walked in the corridors of power in the US Empire, the world became ‘unipolar’, and they, in the new conditions, sought to usher in a new world order.

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But, as we have seen, by 2008, the developed capitalist countries experienced the biggest crisis since the 1930s, and one whose effects are felt around the world. As a system, capitalism is governed by laws, and whilst it is based on exploitation of workers and driven by the need to accumulate, it has in-built contradictions which inevitably lead to crises.

Today’s crisis is not only one of its biggest, but also one which is not easily going away. In seeking a solution, the ruling classes are throwing the burden on the backs of the working class, youth, pensioners, and other segments of the people. The results of the crises and the measures resorted to by the rulers are, for millions, growing unemployment, homelessness, cutting of pensions, less spending on social services, widespread impoverishment of the masses. This is the price workers and their families must pay for the greed of the ruling class.

The working class, allied with other forces, must wage the struggles not only for their betterment, but, importantly, also for change of this system.

And comrades, in addition to the economic crisis of capitalism, troubling for us working people also are the spread of wars and various military adventures and activities literally going on across the world. Beginning with the invasion of Iraq at the beginning of this century, the Chief Spokesman of US Imperialism promised a New World Order. It looks like we indeed have a New Order, and one of its distinguishing features is clearly perpetual war and military conflicts, which are springing up all around us – in the Mid-East, the African continent, in Asia, in Europe. Entire nations are being terrorized, while mass atrocities are committed on peoples; hundreds of thousands of families are uprooted from their homes and many are bombed out of existence. As workers, we are no strangers to injustice, and when crimes against humanity go on anywhere and on the scale they are committed today by Imperialism, its NATO and other allies and its proxy forces, the perpetrators deserve our strongest and unapologetic condemnation. On this May Day, we again demand the halt to the unjust imperialist wars of aggression. After World War II, the Nuremburg trials set a precedent on how to treat with war criminals. Today’s war criminals must also be brought to justice, and the world’s peace and justice-loving peoples must demand this.

Comrades, the perilous state of our world is also being aggravated by what clearly is a persistent undermining and assault on democracy and civil liberties and rights which we have been seeing in recent times.

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Democracy and its norms and institutions and rights have always been an integral component of our overall struggles in Guyana, as is true of the struggles of the working and oppressed peoples of the world. For us, democracy is associated with majority rule, as the ancient Greeks would have us understand. President Abraham Lincoln ideally spoke of government of, by, and for the people. In our own struggles in Guyana, it found expression in the demand for ‘free and fair elections’ and ‘one man, one vote’, and we have recognized, too, the important role of the constitution, an independent judiciary, and the rule of law.

But in these times, comrades, we are seeing some strange and ominous practices of countries that profess to be the greatest upholders and promoters of democracy in the world. Today we see these so-called democracies engaged in torture, kidnapping and unlawful detention; we hear of an Executive President determining who, including his citizens, should be assassinated; we see murder in several countries - of civilians, including children - by drones; we read about the beginnings of a police state with related laws put in place; we read about special forces’ operations and death squads being set up in various countries; revelations are continuing - in blatant disregard to the right to privacy of the mass surveillance by the so-called ‘five eyes’ club of all peoples of all countries who use a phone or the internet.

Furthermore, comrades, the working peoples cannot, in our day, ignore the rise of a phenomenon referred to as ‘colour revolutions’, which in essence are attempts to use violence and mass actions to destablise and to bring down democratically elected governments which have earned the displeasure particularly of US Imperialism. There are several examples to point to, but let us note two of these at this time – in neighbouring Venezuela and in far off Ukraine.

In Venezuela, President Maduro has pointedly accused external forces working along with local extremists of fanning and promoting violent actions. No doubt, these are to bring a halt to the pro-people Bolivarian, Chavista Revolution, and to re-establish the rule of the old elite. But little mind is given to the fact that the Venezuelan Government was democratically elected, which obviously is of little value when class interests are involved.

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In Ukraine, the democratically elected government has been overthrown, with the extremist rightist and Neo-Nazi forces playing a big role. Now, for the first time since the defeat of fascism and Nazi forces in the Second World War, Nazism is back in a government in Europe. By this, world peace, already threatened, is further endangered. Moreover, what is also interesting about Ukraine events is that officials of the US State Department have been caught red-handed plotting the overthrow of that elected government. And in that country, the US says it spent US$5 billion in various programmes for “democracy promotion”. Guyanese should take note of this revelation. Let us also note, comrades, that some countries that pride themselves as liberal democracies and which paid a high price to bring about the victory over fascism and Nazism in the world now find it opportune to work with such forces today.

The very circles whose policies brought on the economic crisis which are spreading endless wars are also the source from which the antidemocratic expressions of our day come. It’s a vicious circle.

In view of such developments, we need to ask ourselves: What do all these things mean? What do they tell us? Maybe Karl Marx gave us a possible answer a long time ago when he told us that a ruling class will stop at no crime in order to protect its rule, its interests and its profits.

Others might very well say that all these are in keeping with a desire for world hegemony. There is a lot of truth in both propositions. And, as workers, these critical times and such circumstances demand of us that we be vigilant and alert.

Let us also recognize, comrades, that the world is not going along on a one-way street. There are counter currents and trends. There is a fight-back. Workers and small farmers, women and youth, the poor and oppressed are, in many countries and at several fora and in diverse ways, resisting the march of the imperialist juggernaut. This wave of resistance and fight-back is scoring significant victories, proving that the spirit of militancy and struggles that saw the birth of May Day are still with us, and despite the efforts of reaction over the years, it has not been dampened or neutralized.

Our working people must cherish that inheritance, firm in the belief that a new day will dawn only out of our consistent struggles. History’s final verdict is yet to be made.

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As you are aware, comrades, GAWU has a proud and principled record.

We have stood, as we stand now, with the forces for peace, democracy, social justice and social progress. In today’s conditions, world peace has become urgent. Likewise, solidarity with our class brothers the world over we see as uncompromising. Difficult as the situation may be, we must continue our work and march on, filled with confidence that the victories and achievements of today foretell of greater victories ahead.

Sugar Industry Comrades, the sugar industry’s state of health and performance are naturally of great interest to us. Another year has gone by, and yet the industry has not overcome the misfortune that has befallen it. However, we can say that its importance to our economy and its providing employment to tens of thousands of Guyanese have not diminished. The wide interest shown, in the industry in recent months testifies to the value of this industry to our country. The GAWU welcomes the interest shown but cannot see eye-to- eye with those who offer ill-thought-out solutions, like selling of estates or diversifying to ethanol or putting lands to aquaculture. At the same time, as a stakeholder, we would like to see the industry becoming viable, as this would surely impact the quality of life of our membership.

We believe a key factor for success is GuySuCo’s ability and capability to grow sufficient quantity of good-quality canes. We have at the seven (7) grinding estates the adequate land to produce the requisite quantity; we have the knowledge to grow cane; and with good management, a satisfied labour force and various innovations, GAWU is confident that the industry can regain its profitable status in a short while.

Again, in this year, the industry has received financial support from the Government to cover part of its expenses. That support, as stated in the 2014 Budget, amounts to G$6B. This is a big allocation, and we express our gratitude to the Government, and possibly the EU Accompanying Measures funds. This level of support makes it all the more urgent that the industry reach quickly a profitable performance level. There is no easy route to achieve this, but it is not beyond our capability.

The turnaround of the industry lies in the hands of workers and management in the final analysis. A Board of Directors at the time when

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leadership is needed becomes urgent, and we urge the authorities not to delay on installing this.

Though aggrieved over several matters, GAWU is facing the future of sugar with optimism. Several indicators, we are told, show that a silver lining is already beginning to appear. We are certainly overjoyed if this is so, and with our collective efforts, hopefully we can dispel, finally and totally, the dark clouds hovering over the industry in these recent years.

Local Situation Comrades, sugar has brought home starkly that developments and their sustenance pose many challenges. Our region’s realities provide ample evidence of this also.

Over the past two (2) decades, Guyana has astutely throd the path of economic development and growth, and we have seen benefits in wage increases, in the social sectors, infrastructure, better governance, improvements in the quality of life, and other accomplishments. But as we measure our successes, we must also bear in mind that there are always many issues demanding attention and resolution. Critical questions must yet be addressed if we are to take a place alongside the developed countries of the world.

While some issues, like the holding of local government elections - long overdue - may be easily addressed, and which we hope will soon be, there are issues with far-reaching implications which will require, I am sure, more profound considerations and wide consultations. Clearly, there remains a great deal that must be done along the road to greater progress and prosperity. And, the national institution that we look up to for the relevant leadership and initiatives is our Parliament and its members.

Budget 2014 But, once again, there is a feeling that our people and country have been short-changed by the results stemming from the 2014 Budget considerations. The debate was generally good, but, for the third consecutive year, the results were not. On one hand, the Government presented the biggest budget ever; on the other hand, the combined Opposition made the biggest cut ever – some G$37.4B. Jobs, development

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projects, expansion of services, Amerindian and interior development projects are likely to go down the drain; as in 2012, as in 2013. So, comrades, how is Guyana to go forward? What informs this urge to halt our development and thwart efforts to blaze a trail for a better future for our people and youth? If our Parliamentary gladiators want to give our nation a spectacle when Budget time comes around, they should know that the working people are certainly not amused. We do not want to stagnate economically, and we do not want to suffocate by put- ting a brake on the wheels of progress through sterile excuses and hollow explanations for.

Exploitation of Natural Resources Similarly, we must call attention to the management of our national patrimony, especially of our non-renewable resources in our mining sector, as well as our land and forest resources. In this respect, an article

by Ali Rodriguez Araque, the General Secretary of the Union of South American States (UNASUR), an organization to which Guyana belongs, is instructive. Writing on Natural Resources a couple of weeks ago he stated:“It is a sad irony that, in the midst of this immense wealth, one hundred and thirty million South Americans live in a state of poverty; and among these, over sixty million in a situation of critical poverty. Meanwhile, the lion’s share of much of the exploitation of resources is being taken away by huge global corporations that employ the same strategy and wield planetary control.”

Comrades, we still have poverty in our country, and we have the resources that can go towards its eradication, as well as to attend to the improvements of the life of Guyanese and also to contribute to the country’s development. Let us tread this path regarding our resources with care. Let us pay attention to our economic sovereignty. Let us ensure that we have relevant safe- guards, that we receive optimum returns, that there is transparency even as we seek to stimulate investments in these sectors.

Trade Union Unity Comrades, unity at the Trade Union level continues to elude us. We well recognize that unity among workers and their unions is essential

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to confront the challenges facing the working class in our country.

Therefore, it is with great concern that I note that our two trade union centres – the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) - have not been able to reconcile their differences.

The GAWU is fully supportive of a united Trade Union Movement and would like to see one trade union centre speak with one voice on behalf of the workers of Guyana. We contend that, if this cannot materialize, there should be established a Council or Committee comprising of representatives of both FITUG and the GTUC, to provide an opportunity for collaboration between the two bodies, and thus their affiliates.

However, we remain hopeful that unity can be forged. Our division can serve only those who are enriched by the work done by workers. Unity, as history shows over and over again, serves the working class. We are committed to press for our unity, which will certainly lift morale and strengthen our struggles for all-round development.

There are before us many concerns which require our voice and influence. There is, for instance, a much-needed tax reform, and there is the question of growing inequality, as measured by income and other factors. There is a crying need to assess where privatization is taking us, now that we see the grim realities in Europe and North America particularly. Too many painful stories are heard from our Health Sector – private and public – in-as-much as advances have been made, and an assessment should be done. These are but some of our present concerns which we believe need to be addressed.

Conclusion Comrades, May Day 2014 has come with a mixture of good and bad news. The air is filled with loose talk, but one thing is certain: the working peoples’ struggles in defence of their interests must go on, and we must not allow our present unity to be undermined. Our class feelings and solidarity compel us to condemn forcefully those who are snatching food from the mouths of our fellow workers and destroying their livelihood, whatever category they belong to. At the same time, whatever other criticisms one may have, we must acknowledge and recognise the present Government’s passionate defence of these sectors 56

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of the working class who may now be affected, and the development programmes they have initiated.

The recent developments in our nation are telling. They tell us that new challenges are appearing in our path. We must be ready to face up to them. At this time, we see the need for our working people to stand unitedly. We must be ever vigilant, as the confidence tricksters and fraudsters still lurk in the shadows, waiting for opportunities to fulfill their political agenda and ambitions.

As we celebrate May Day this year, let us bear in mind that there are two main threats to our planet and civilization. These are a third imperialist-instigated World War, and an ecological catastrophe further affecting climate change. We hold the view that all national leaders and governments, weak or strong, and all peoples, no matter how small, must take a stand and work to avoid their occurrence. This is a demand of our times; this is humanity’s call to us.

On this May Day, GAWU sends out militant greetings to all workers and working people of Guyana and their genuine representatives. We express our solidarity to our own working people and the working and oppressed peoples the world over, in their struggles against wars and a capitalist order, and for bread, justice, peace, democracy, independent development and progress.

Long live the workers of the World!

Our fight continues!

Long live May Day!

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Address by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to Enmore Martyrs 2014 Rally June 16, 2014 Enmore Martyrs Monument Square, ECD

I am delighted to have the opportunity, on behalf of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), to pay homage to five men, namely:- Lallabagee Kissoon; Surujballi, called Dookie; Harry; Rambarran; and Lall, called Pooran, who, in the prime of their lives, were brutally gunned down in this village at the instance of the foreign sugar planters sixty-six (66) years ago. They have, in the course of time, received national recognition, and today they are known as the Enmore Martyrs. Since 1976, they have been celebrated nationally in honour of their struggles, selfless sacrifice, and the impact that the 1948 struggle of sugar workers has had on our fight for freedom. They occupy, and rightly so, a place in the revered hall of our national heroes.

The Martyrs and their colleagues were engaged in strike, which was fiftyone (51) days old when the fateful incident occurred. Senior Counsel Cde Ashton Chase, in his renowned book – A History of Trade Unionism in Guyana: 1900 to 1960 – pointed out that the strike began on April 22, 58

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1948 at Non Pareil over the arbitrary imposition by the planters of ‘cut and load’ over the ‘cut and drop’ system. He wrote:“The origin of the strike was, first of all general expression of dissatisfaction by the workers with their miserable conditions of work and life, notwithstanding the existence of recognised unions. Secondly, the failure of the recognised unions (MPCA and BG Workers League), over the years, to really alleviate the harsh conditions under which they worked, or to secure even a fair improvement in their real wages. Thirdly, dissatisfaction with the new system of work for cane cutters; to wit, cut and load. Fourthly, frustration with the machinery set up, with the approval of the recognised unions, for resolving differences at estate level. And last but not least, the demand for recognition of a new trade union under a militant leadership to represent their interests.”

The Enmore incident occurred against a backdrop of workers’ militancy which was erupting in several enterprises in that period. A strike lasting sixty-four (64) days by bauxite workers at Mackenzie and Ituni in April, 1947 took place, and highlighted the racial discrimination and segregation perpetuated by the owners and management of the Demerara Bauxite Company. In late February, 1948, the Transport Workers Union reacted to the arbitrary transfer of its leaders from Georgetown to different parts of Guy- ana with an effective strike. Not only were the transfers stayed but, Colonel Teare who dictatorially ordered the transfers was hurriedly recalled by the Colonial Office to London. The decade between the mid40s and mid-50s was an eventful time in our past. Apart from the direct workers’ struggles there were also significant political developments, an influencing factor at the time was the formation of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) formed by Dr Cheddi Jagan and others in 1946. The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was founded out of this Committee on January 01, 1950. It was a new political party that differed immensely from the traditional political parties. Immediately, it began to champion the cause of universal adult suffrage and boldly challenged the arbitrary rule of the colonial masters and the local capitalist class. Winning a seat in the Legislative Council in 1947 gave Dr Jagan an opportunity to advocate for many pro-people and particularly pro- workers measures, and thus he was able to lift people’s political awareness and class consciousness.

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It turned out that the death of the Enmore Five, comrades and friends, was an awakening call in many quarters, and especially to workers in other sectors. Cde Cheddi saw to that. Cde Janet Jagan, former President of Guyana, opined that the death of the five martyrs sent a “thunderbolt” through the society, invigorating the liberation struggle which followed.

The brutal repression of 1948 did not daunt the workers nor dampen their spirit. Indeed, militancy in the industry grew and political awareness and activities expanded. Sugar workers’ right to be represented by a Union of their choice was won in 1976. Sugar workers, under the aegis of GAWU, have taken part, along with other working people, in the struggles for political independence. They championed the nationalization of the sugar industry, and stood up and fought for the restoration of democratic elections. These struggles took place side by side with other struggles to improve wages and working conditions throughout the industry, and for other workers’ rights.

Our current situation Today, sixty-six (66) years removed from the Enmore incident, we can say surely that our nation has progressed and there have been improvements in many areas of life. But as much as we have advanced, we cannot fail to recognize there are still many challenges before us, and new achievements to score. Significantly, we must recommit ourselves to working to safeguard our gains while seeking to score new victories.

Even as we seek to protect our gains and advance our agenda, we are also saddled with the necessary task to ensure continuous development and progress in our country. These are quite formidable objectives, given that we live in a crisis-ridden world and in a country where political disharmony, somewhat pronounced since 2012, is certainly affecting the welfare and lives of the Guyanese working people.

Importantly at this time, the continued debate over the passage of the Anti- Money Laundering and Countering of the Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CFT) Bill and the threat of blacklisting have attracted attention and concern from all quarters of society. The consequences and repercussions, we understand, are severe and will create many hardships.

At this point in our nation’s history, such unwelcome developments can only be destructive and harmful. Further sanctions on Guyana at this

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time could serve to reverse the many gains the working class have had over the years. The threat of job losses cannot be underestimated. Our workers, moreover, among other things, deserve a decent standard of living.

Sugar Industry As we recall the struggle of the Martyrs and the way they met their demise, we must lament the unfortunate situation which today confronts our nation’s sugar industry. The industry, just days ago, concluded its first crop with a production significantly greater than last year’s first crop output.

Let us be hopeful that the 216,000-tonne target set for this year will be attained. We are hopeful, too, that this first crop performance heralds the recovery of the industry, and the future crops will see consistently higher levels of production as the industry endeavors to reach its goal of 350,000 tonnes sugar in 2017, as set out in its Strategic Plan.

While sugar production hinges very much on good agricultural practices, a good interrelationship among the stakeholders must always be sustained and promoted through respect for Agreements, accepted customs and practices, relevant labour-related laws, etc. Over the past months, however, GAWU has recognized some troubling developments, which we intend to take up. Such developments are not in the interest of the industry, and I take this opportunity to remind ourselves that the workers and their unions are indispensable to sugar’s recovery. It is important that those who, for what- ever reason, seek to disturb the present reasonably good relations in the industry, do not forget this.

In the meantime, we wish to reiterate our call that the industry needs to benefit from the full release by the Government of all the EU money intended for the sugar industry.

We also wish to state again that the turnaround of the industry lies in the hands of the workers and management in the final analysis. A new Board of Directors is long overdue, since the last Chairman became the new Chief Executive Officer, leaving the present Board headless.

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Conclusion Comrades, as we celebrate and mark the Enmore Martyrs Day, we must also focus on the era in which we are living. It is an era that is marked by economic crises, wars, ecological degradation, and erratic climate behaviour, growing poverty, and constant assaults on the working-class throughout the world.

We live in the era where neo-liberalism holds sway – a model of capitalism that emphasizes privatization, transfer of state assets to private individuals, plunder of resources, assault on workers, and so on.

It is a model which is at the root of the growing poverty, inequality and extremism worldwide.

In celebrating the memory of the Enmore Martyrs, we must always be mindful that the ruling elites will not want to give up their privileges or their plundering and greedy ways. The workers and poor will continue to be their victims.

It is in this context also, that we see the significance of the Enmore Martyrs. They stood up against injustice, they fought for a fair deal; they demanded better conditions in their work, in their lives, and for their families’ future.

Thus, in our times, the struggles that gave us the Enmore Martyrs continue to be relevant. This enduring message we should not forget.

The working class must be always vigilant, militant, organizationally strong and united. GAWU urges; in the spirit of the Martyrs of Enmore, let us go forward to greater victories.

Long Live Enmore Martyrs!

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Tribute by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to Cde Navin Chandarpal November 02, 2014 Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown

On Tuesday, October 28, 2014, after a period of illness, Comrade Navin Chandarpal departed our ranks. The workers have lost a friend and a champion; for the progressive forces, a place among their frontline activists has now become vacant. The grief at his loss will be felt not only by his family, relatives and friends, but also by many of his comradesin-arms, who shared with him many struggles for betterment and a prosperous future for Guyana.

Cde Navin was a product of his times. One thing that stands out for him is that while many of his peers shied away from the demanding struggles that enveloped Guyana in his lifetime, Cde Navin chose the path of engagement and struggle. He left a memorable record of personal involvement, a record worthy of emulation. His life’s record also shows that he was a comrade with multi-dimensional interests, which ranged from being a graduate in physics to a youth leader, to a Government Minister, and lots of other responsibilities in between these. Cde Navin had that rare attribute of being equally at ease in an intellectual Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

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environment and with the “grass roots” as well, as his many pursuits would often require him to do.

Comrade Navin had a long relationship with our Union, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), going back to around the 1980s, when he served as a lecturer on various topics at classes organized by our Union. We recall that, he had also taken part in the education programmes sponsored by the Guyana Public Service Union, the Critchlow Labour College, and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG). In recent years, Cde Navin drew closer to our Union and the workers’ cause when he accepted an offer to be Principal of our Union’s Labour College. He served in this capacity from 2010 to 2011, but continued to offer his services to the College even after he took on duties at the level of the state. During this period, though brief, he played an important role in assisting to establish a curriculum for the College, and proved to be an adept educator, a quality attested to by the hundreds who took part in his classes and workshops. Cde Navin recognized the important role of education as an effective investment through which workers would enhance their skills that would serve them well in their day-to-day work-life and which, at the same time, would serve to raise their awareness of world developments and current trends and issues. But Navin’s links with the Union were by no means limited to our classroom. More importantly is his abiding interaction with workers, their interests and concerns, and on occasions he even participated in several practical Union activities and demonstrations.

Many of his peers will remember Navin as a steadfast believer in, and a consistent advocate of, the Marxist-Leninist theory which speaks to the liberation of the working-class from the shackles of exploitation.

This working people’s connection confirmed, on one hand, and strengthened, on the other, a world view which saw a socialist future, even moreso today in view of the deep and prolonged crisis which the capitalist system has found itself in, and which has brought on great hardships on the workers.

While we, from the Union, have fond and cherished recollections of Cde Navin’s association with us, I believe his better contribution could be found in his social and political activism.

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Navin grew up and matured in an environment wherein the struggle for freedom had entered its final stage, and when, soon after ‘Independence’ was given, the PPP found itself at the head of a nation-wide struggle for democracy. Clearly, Navin was one of the many of our young people who were moved to join the struggles that were going on in our times.

Navin became active in the PYO, the organization in which we first met.

This was decades ago, and we were then youths driven and motivated by the ideals of freedom and democracy for our country. Cde Navin, in his youth and student days, became President of the University of Guyana Students Society, and later was catapulted to the position of First Secretary of the Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO).

Significantly, it was during this time, as Navin reminded us in a recent Mirror article, that the PYO-UG group and University of Guyana Student Society took up very actively the case of Dr Walter Rodney, who was seeking employment at that institution.

From here on, fate and life by demands combined to chart a course of a political future for Navin. And his endearing demeanour helped him overcome the several challenges that any serious politician must inevitably face up to.

Politically, over the year, Cde Navin was elected repeatedly to the higher echelons of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), positions he deserved for his activism and political astuteness – the qualities he richly displayed in his calling and work.

After the elections of ’92, Cde Navin was called to serve in several areas of our country’s life, as a Minister of Government, as an advisor to the President, and in various boards and committees. His preference, it would appear, was his work and interest in environment and sustainable development, fields to which, I am sure, he had much more contributions to make.

Today, as we pay our respects to an outstanding colleague and comrade, to a friend of the working-people, Cde Navin, one can say without contradiction that he has discharged his responsibility to the country and to his Party admirably and with commitment. For us, we hold the view

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that we must not allow such a sterling contribution to be discontinued because Navin is no more physically with us. Indeed, let us cherish such rich memories; let us continue along the trail he would have helped cleared in his lifetime, a trial blazed by the indomitable leader Cheddi Jagan.

On behalf of the General Council and the wider membership of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), and on my own behalf, I wish to convey our condolences and deepest sympathies to Navin’s family: Cde Indra, his spouse; his children, Rabin and Geetajanli; and to his other relatives and friends.

With Cde Navin’s departure, our country has lost an outstanding son.

He served in different capacities, and served with distinction. He will be missed very much by the people and by his comrades he worked with, as well as by the people he befriended.

Cde Navin, the GAWU salutes you. May you rest in peace.

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Address by GAWU General Secretary, Cde Seepaul Narine to Rose Hall Martyrs commemoration activity March 26, 2015 Rose Hall Martyrs Monument Site, Canje, Berbice

As we today pay tribute yet again to those who struggled here at Planation Rose Hall, and honour those who fell in that struggle just over 100 years ago, we note that this is a story repeated over and over again in other plantations in the era of colonialism, and even after that.

In this workers’ struggle which took place in 1913, researchers tell us, that workers’ militant and justified actions resulted in 15 workers being killed, including one (1) woman who was shot in the stomach, and another 41 being seriously injured. Though GAWU pays tribute to these men and women who, unbowed and with a defiant spirit, stood up against the injustices of the planation system, which thrived on the flagrant exploitation of its workers, those of us in the industry today can only be proud of the legacy left us by those workers of Plantation Rose Hall and, indeed, the workers of other Estates, whether of Enmore, Leonora, Lusignan, Ruimveldt, or Non-Pariel, to name some.

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production of sugar. It is also a history of workers’ heroism, self-sacrifices, and freedom from the bondage of the plantation system nurtured by our colonial relationships.

GAWU is pleased to note that the struggles, over the years and by different generations, have brought about significant changes in the industry and in the lives of the workers. We are also pleased to note that these strides we have made have not dampened workers’ militancy or weakened their alertness. Today, with so many new challenges around us, these qualities are of utmost importance if we are to safeguard our achievements and advance our working-class all-round interests.

As we turn back the pages of history, we see that exploitation of countries’ riches was the driving force that led to slavery and indentureship, to oppression and domination, to unspeakable crimes, and even to genocide. In our day, we must ask ourselves: Have we left those detestable experiences behind? As much as changes have occurred in society generally, dangers still lurk in our midst. One glaring danger is that a few developed countries are blatantly plundering countries which have strategic resources. In doing so, they are creating a trail of poverty, inequality violent conflicts, environmental devastation and wars.

In the place of such developments, the fighting spirit and unity shown by these Rose Hall workers are invaluable lessons to today’s workers as they confront other injustices and reach out for an even better and prosperous life.

It is widely known that the sugar industry has fallen into difficult times.

There are several reasons for this. We appreciate that the industry’s challenges at this time are daunting, but we also recognize that the price paid for in workers’ lives and hardships, in pains and various deprivations, ensure our commitment to make our contributions to turn around the industry to a profitable state. The GAWU believes this is possible at this time. We believe that management and the workers, through their organisation, can make a worthy and ever-decisive contribution towards this end.

Comrades, Several decades separate us from these events that we today commemorate. Other generations of workers have since arisen and held

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aloft the banner that these heroic workers held. There is continuity, and one which is enjoined by struggles and our unity.

As we tackle other tasks in our work life or in our society, no matter how demanding these may be, let us find the strength and inspiration through the noble struggles waged by the previous generations.

We, as workers, have come a far way. There are many successes we today enjoy, and the quality of our lives and those of our dependents have improved. At the same time, we are aware that the working class goals we have set ourselves and our historical objectives are still ahead. We still have some way to go, and we are marching towards them. Though the path ahead will not be easy, our united struggle will make sure that we overcome all obstacles we meet. We, of GAWU, join in honouring the memory of these fallen workers of Rose Hall plantation.

They have certainly enriched our history by their dignified struggle. We are proud of them, and we, of GAWU, will support a more enduring monument to their memory.

Not only the workers of Rose Hall Estate, but, indeed, all workers should respect and pay homage to these and the others who paved the path for a better future for all of us.

Long live the memory of these workers of Plantation Rose Hall!

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Address by GAWU President, Cde Komal Chand, to Labour Day 2015 Rally May 01, 2015 National Park, Georgetown

Comrades, this Rally, being held under the theme “Unite for Continued Progress and Development�, is indeed a significant national activity. It is being held jointly by our FITUG Unions, representing thousands of unionised workers in our country. It is with pleasure, therefore, that I take the opportunity on behalf of GAWU to extend a hearty welcome to all members of our FITUG fraternity, and at this time extend May Day greetings to all Guyanese, particularly to our workers. Our FITUG collaborative action has been going on, and has endured for a number of years now. It is a unity, we believe, that must be consolidated, and we believe it can be both an example and basis for the wider unity of the Guyanese working class.

Comrades, as you know, the tradition of celebrating May Day has its origins in the struggle for the eight-hour working day. This struggle reached a high point in May 1886 with Chicago workers going on strike.

The strike was met with police violence and brutality. Eight (8) trade unionists were arrested and put on trial. They were found guilty, and were executed. Their sacrifices have earned them an honoured place in the history of the international working class movement. In 1889, 70

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the International Working Men’s Association, at a conference in Paris, decided that May 1 will become a day for the international working class to celebrate. This year, 2015, is the 126th time workers in many countries are observing May Day. At the same time, May Day allows us the opportunity to honour all those workers who made great sacrifices - many with their lives - for the rights and betterment of the working class, for the abolition of the exploitation of man by man; and for a new, just, and progressive social and economic order International Comrades, this year, our celebrations are taking place amidst challenging conditions internationally. Wars and conflicts are raging in several countries of the world. A US-supported, fascist-led coup took place in Ukraine, triggering a destructive civil war, and recently, highly provocative military exercises on Russia’s border have raised the spectre of another World War. In the Middle East, North Africa and other African countries, we see one devastating war after another, resulting in deaths, displacement, destruction, and disaster affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Even as we meet, a small, poor Mid-East country called Yemen has become the latest victim of this war fever waged by allies and vassal states of US imperialism.

In South Asia, we are aware of efforts to contain and encircle China, a country which has grown into an Asian economic powerhouse.

And closer home, in Latin America and the Caribbean, we see a somewhat contradictory approach in US Foreign Policy. On one hand, talks to normalise relations with Cuba are underway. Happily, we note that Cuba had attended, for the first time, the just concluded Summit of the Americas, held in Panama. On the other hand, we see an order by US President Obama in which he unbelievably referred to Venezuela as a security threat and proceeded to impose on our Venezuelan neighbour certain sanctions. Clearly, comrades, we live in interesting times.

Today, as we ponder on the range of present day developments, we recall

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that in this May month, seventy (70) years would have elapsed since the end of World War Two (2); since the defeat of German Nazism and fascism. But the fascist monster has again appeared on the European stage. A new danger, therefore, has appeared before the world’s working class. And as happened seventy (70) years ago, we today have a duty to stop fascism, to give our full solidarity to those who are in the front lines of the anti-fascist resistance in Europe and elsewhere.

Comrades, the financial/economic crisis of 2008 has brought severe hardships on workers and other groups worldwide. Oxfam, an international organization, tells us that inequality is on the rise, and the gap between the rich and poor is ever wider. We are told that, in 2014, the 80 richest multi- billionaires had as much wealth as the bottom 50 per cent of the world’s people, and that by next year, the richest 1 per cent will control more wealth than the bottom 99 per cent of the world’s peoples.

Everywhere, the working class is being reduced more and more to destitution, as jobs are destroyed, wages slashed by corporations, exploitation ramped up, and vital social services neglected by several governments, which also impose other austerity measures on their peoples. In these conditions, the ILO has predicted that unemployment worldwide will increase over the next five (5) years by millions.

Comrades, our world continues to face many challenges and severe threats – man-made and natural – and those related to climate change are becoming more serious as the days go by. These are times that require our invigorated activism. We must rise to meet the challenges of our day.

For the GAWU, it is clear that our duty is to stand with the forces that seek to prevent wars, terror and worldwide conflagration. It is the historic duty of the working people to bring an end to a system of greed and exploitation and replace it with one wherein man is a friend to his fellow man, and is a comrade and brother.

National and Regional Elections Comrades, May Day this year finds us on the threshold of another National and Regional elections, which are scheduled for May 11. We have arrived at this political juncture due to the results stemming from

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the 2011 elections. The outcome of those elections could be regarded as historic. New political experiences resulted. Three (3) years later, we can say that smooth governance was clearly affected; developmental projects stalled or discontinued; and no doubt, hundreds of jobs were denied to our unemployed because of injudicious budget cuts.

In ten (10) days’ time, we will have another opportunity to vote for the Party of our individual choice. Hopefully, the experiences of these three (3) years will guide us in making that choice. We need to retain our country on the development and modernization path. We look forward to the continuation of pro-working people policies from the elected government.

The GAWU takes the view, too, that the Guyanese working people should also play a vigorous role in ensuring that our elections are free and fair, and are conflict free, and that the democracy which was returned in 1992 is not undermined. We recognize GECOM’s big responsibility to ensure this, and urge that its staff observe, as in the past, all relevant rules and procedures.

Comrades, just over two (2) decades ago, Guyana began a new era of its history. The wheels of progress and development started to turn once more. Today we see the results in our rehabilitated infrastructure; in housing schemes; in potable water reaching more communities and homes; in the education sector, with more schools and better results; in the a network of medical facilities manned by Cuban-trained doctors; and in the visible reduction of poverty. The quality of our lives has been raised. And while there are still many challenges, we believe that with the right leadership, a future of greater prosperity is assured.

Sugar Industry Comrades, our sugar industry has attracted significant attention from the major political parties at this time. This is understandable, and indeed welcome. After all, thousands of workers and their families rely on the industry, which it is also crucial to the country’s economy. We hear talk that it is too big and important to fail. Let us note that the industry provides jobs to 17,000 workers. Additionally, it facilitates over 2,000 cane farmers, and overall, an estimated 120,000 Guyanese benefit from its operations. It is a nett foreign exchange earner, and a significant

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proportion of the industry’s approximate G$30B in revenue is circulated locally, thus enhancing all businesses.

The GAWU believes that the answer to the industry’s plight is neither piece- meal divestment of its best assets nor privatisation. We think that an efficient management team can be pivotal in returning the sugar industry to profitability.

The low price sugar is fetching today is also a cause for concern, and raises the need for greater diversity. Several possibilities can be looked into; for example, a distillery, a sugar refinery, and co-generation plants.

In this regard, the experiences of India and other Asian and African countries could prove useful. And in the case of refined sugar, our region offers a very promising market.

We, from GAWU, are pleased by President Donald Ramotar’s announcement that, if the PPP/Civic is re-elected, it will assist the industry with G$5B per year for the next five (5) years. We are confident that the industry can become viable. We will do our part, and we urge all stakeholders to do theirs, to realize the industry’s viability.

Trade Union Unity Comrades, it is most regrettable that another May Day is here and, despite the assistance of two (2) prominent Caribbean trade unionists, we have still not achieved Trade Union unity. We, in FITUG, see the need today for a strong, conscious, militant and responsible Trade Union movement.

Thus we will pursue Trade Union unity more vigorously. In our continuing efforts, we are looking at the model in Trinidad and Tobago, where the two (2) trade union umbrella bodies have formed a council and deal with mutually-agreed-upon labour issues, and take common action where necessary.

We will work for FITUG and the GTUC to meet, to discuss, and take concrete steps in this direction in the coming weeks in the interest of Trade Unionism.

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Conclusion Comrades, May Day 2015 has come with a mixture of good and bad news. However, one thing is clear: we cannot divert from struggles in defence of workers’ interests. Our present unity is crucial to success, and should be safeguarded. Ahead are fresh battles, new challenges to face, and militant actions to take - if necessary - to defend our gains. We should acknowledge, also, the Government’s contribution in bringing economic projects for the betterment and raising of the quality of life of the people of the country.

We want to continue along the road of stability and progress.

On this May Day, while we send out greetings to all workers, farmers, pensioners, women, youth, and the business community of Guyana, we also stretch out a hand of solidarity to workers and oppressed peoples the world over in their struggles against wars, occupation, against a capitalist order, and for an end to ecological degradation; for bread, justice, peace, democracy, independent development, and progress.

Our times demand that we, too, do our part to attain such ends. Long live the workers of the World!

Our fight and struggles continue!

Long live May Day!

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Address by GAWU International Affairs Secretary Cde Aslim Singh, to Enmore Martyrs 2015 Rally June 16, 2015 Enmore Martyrs Monument Square, ECD

On behalf of the leadership and members of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), I wish to express our acknowledgement of this significant event in our nation’s history, as well as to recognize one of the epic struggles by the working class in Guyana.

This annual national event serves not only to keep the memory of the Enmore Martyrs alive, but is also a reminder that the achievements of our day have been fertilized with the blood and heroic struggles of our working people.

At this time, GAWU recalls that the deaths of the workers which occurred in Enmore in 1948 were observed initially by the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), and subsequently by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the GAWU. We need also to recognize that two of the central figures of the Enmore struggles and the subsequent observances were Dr Cheddi Jagan and his wife, Janet Jagan.

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It was only in the mid-seventies, after Independence, that the then Government appropriately recognized the Enmore struggles, acknowledged as martyrs those who had fallen, and declared a day for national observances. Dr Jagan, a central figure of that struggle, later wrote that he had made a silent pledge at the Martyrs’ graveside: “I would dedicate my entire life to the cause of the struggle of the Guyanese people against bondage and exploitation.” Indeed, Dr Jagan lived up to that pledge.

The martyrdom of Rambarran, Pooran, Lallabagee, Surujballi and Harry must be seen in the context of the wider anti-colonial struggle which was beginning to grow in intensity at the political level. It was those rural and urban workers’ struggles, strengthened by political actions and demands for freedom, which brought an end to colonial rule and ushered in political independence.

Today, as we mark another anniversary of the Enmore Martyrs, GAWU also remembers those who fell at Devonshire Castle in 1872, at NonPareil in 1879, at Friends in 1903, at Lusignan and Friends in 1912, at Rose Hall in 1913, at Ruimveldt in 1924, and at Leonora in 1939. We also recognize the struggles and challenges and threats and sacrifices to workers in the industry and in our country after Enmore 1948. Our history, which is our legacy, is a history filled with struggles against oppression and economic exploitation perpetrated by British colonialists and the sugar plantocracy. It is also a history of self-sacrificing struggles for Guyana’s freedom, its economic independence, and for a society based on democratic norms.

Over the years since 1948, we have come a long way and have scored several landmark achievements, including independence, a vibrant economy with encouraging prospects, a return of democracy in 92, growing respect internationally, and steadily improving living standards.

Even as we take pride in these developments, we must show concern over certain trends around us. More and more, there is talk of the emergence of new colonialism with its local collaborators and looting of countries’ resources. We see austerity measures piled on the backs of workers, a rollback of gains made by the working class, undermining of democracy, and unjust wars.

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the working people, and we need to draw inspiration from the Enmore Martyrs to attain a society - and indeed a world order - that is based on peace, democracy, economic justice, respect for sovereignty, and social progress.

With respect to the sugar industry, its current trials are generally known.

Nevertheless, its importance needs to be emphasized, as it is estimated that it provides sustenance directly to 16,000 workers and indirectly to tens of thousands more. This is apart from its other social and infrastructural responsibilities.

The GAWU is on record that it is confident that the industry can make it through this difficult period with the correct plans, policies and focus.

The answers will not come easily, but the industry was turned around in the early nineties, and we are sure the industry can be viable again.

We believe, too, that privatization is not the answer, as some are harping about today. We hold firmly to the view that workers are an indispensable part of a viable industry. It is time that they be involved in meaningful ways in the decision-making process also. Relationships which take into account the workers’ interests, concerns and well-being must be hammered out. These are steps which will most certainly redound to the future success of the sugar industry. In such practical ways, concrete content can be given to the recognition of the Struggles of 1948 and in honouring the memory of the Enmore Martyrs.

Comrades, in these times in which we live, there is continuing relevance and great significance in the 1948 Enmore struggles which gave us the Enmore Martyrs. They stood up against injustice; they fought for a fair deal; they demanded better conditions in their work, in their lives, and for their families’ future.

In their struggles, a major blow was dealt for our freedom against the British colonial exploiters. Let us ensure, comrades, that the colonial empire, the old or the new one, never again dominates us as a people, or plunder our resources. This also is the enduring message of our Martyrs.

Long Live Enmore Martyrs!

Long Live Our Ongoing Struggles!

Fight on for further victories!

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Contribution by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to 2015 National Budget Debates August 19, 2015 Parliament of Guyana, Public Building, Georgetown Comrade Speaker, I rise to make my contribution to the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Government’s maiden Budget, which continues the trend of growth in projected expenditure when compared to the previous year’s Budget. In the almost three hours and forty-five minutes of Minister Winston Jordan’s presentation I, too, am of the view that the Government is not going to live up to, and deliver on, many of the promises that were made to the electorate during the recent General and Regional elections campaign.

I must say, Comrade Speaker, that the length of the presentation is no substitute for the expectations, which certainly will be unfulfilled.

Comrade Speaker, my contribution to these debates will reflect mainly on the sugar industry. The Minister of Finance, in his Budget address, said inter alia, “The economic well being of the sugar industry is critical to the protection of jobs and growth of the economy, as well as the contribution it makes to GDP, exports and foreign exchange”. Later, he went on to say, “Whatever path the industry takes, it is vital, for the sake of the national economy, that it remains viable and able to compete in an increasingly competitive and volatile global market.”

Indeed, Comrade Speaker, our sugar industry is deeply rooted in our society, and it continues to be one of the main pillars of our country’s economy. The Minister correctly recognized this. I recall, some years ago, when the then sugar factory and cultivation of Versailles and Schoon Ord Estate were abruptly closed, there were severe consequences for the field and factory workers, despite the absorption of a small number of them in the employ of Wales Estate and Versailles Dairy Farm.

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is not safeguarded. I have expressed before, and do so again, that the sugar industry has in the past, confronted very difficult challenges, and demonstrated its resilience in rising again and again and; I am confident it will do so yet again Despite the challenges in past times, whether under private ownership or in the post-nationalization period, whether under the respective PNC or PPP/C Governments, the industry was supported, and overcame its difficulties and it thrived. And, when thrived - the records will show - it made a substantial contribution to our economy and our national life generally.

Comrade Speaker, I do not think I have to belabour the point of the importance and of the contribution of this industry to our country during colonial times, and also since our Independence forty-nine (49) years ago. All our previous Heads of State have acknowledged this fact.

The APNU/ AFC Presidential Candidate on the campaign trail, now President David Granger, is reported to have said in reference to the sugar industry, “There is no quick fix, but we are not going to dissolve the industry… it is too big to fail”. This is a positive approach to the industry in our given circumstances, and a clear commitment of support at this time. It is within this context that, I believe, the Budget has allocated the sum of G$12B to the sugar industry this year. This boost - on approval by this National Assembly - I urge should be promptly released to the ailing Corporation to assist it to cover and defray its several expenditures.

As is well known, the PPP/C has a consistent record of support of the industry, resulting over recent years in an improvement of the life and working conditions of its workers. Now, too, the PPP/C would readily support assistance to the sugar Corporation.

Importantly, too, Comrade Speaker, I recognize that the industry needs ad- equate resources to return it to a self-financing state, and later to profitability. With this in mind, I reiterate the call that the sum of G$4.76B arising from the EU Sugar Sector Budget Support programme be transferred to the industry soon after its receipt, to be used to improve the industry’s capacity.

Comrade Speaker, concern for the Industry’s future has re-emerged at this time. Will it be truncated? Or will the current Commission of Inquiry - which is tasked to “investigate and inquire into the current state of cane cultivation, production and marketing of sugar, molasses

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and other by-products, including power” - come up with realistic proposals to make the industry once again buoyant. Our concern relates to a letter on the Commission of Inquiry’s work published in one of the newspapers, wherein the writer stated, among other things, “recently appointed Chairman of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is of the opinion that the $200 million estate [refer- ring to Skeldon Estate] should be sold or used for other purposes”. Coupled with what the Chairman of the Board of GuySuCo said, I have sensed that the Minister of Finance, in his Budget address, seemed to be uncertain of the path the industry will take. Such statements do not provide a feeling of confidence in the industry’s future. I should point out that the Unions in the industry, as well as we on this side, do not agree with the divestment of the industry fully or partially.

Indeed, Cde Speaker, it may even be not economically sound in today’s circumstances. Challenging as the situation is, I believe that with commitment and adequate resources, there are quite capable Guyanese who, with the existing workforce, can surely turn the industry around.

We insist that this industry, as a state entity, has a positive future, and its viability can be secured.

The industry has great potential, which needs to be pursued diligently.

Co- generation is one such potential. In India, Brazil, and several other countries, electricity generation is the main earner for many sugar factories. Such investments make sense, as they provide electricity at a reasonable cost while being a renewable source of energy – a real contribution, not only to a Green Economy but, above all, to a Green Guyana – very much in keeping with this year’s budget theme. With the seeming and unwise abortion of the Amaila Falls hydropower project, the sugar industry’s wasteful bagasse can play a major role in supplementing our nation’s energy production. Importantly, the Skeldon Co-Generation facility is testimony of the value of Co-generation, and I welcome efforts for this facility to be returned as a Corporation asset.

I believe that the industry, too, should increase its output of Direct Consumption sugars for sale in the local, regional and Diaspora markets.

The Corporation has the possibility to have no less than 45,000 tonnes of value added sugar available at this time for sale from its Blairmont and Enmore packaging plants annually. The prices for this type of sugar

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in those markets are by far greater than the price for our raw sugar sold in the EU market. Refined sugar also has a big market within the CARICOM region, where as much as 200,000 tonnes of refined sugar are imported extra-regionally per annum for use mainly in the beverage and food industries. Other opportunities related to diversification also exist in the areas of alcohol, ethanol, and liquid sugar, and these could be examined. In maximizing the opportunities from diversification, Comrade Speaker, GuySuCo should not fail to em- brace the public/ private partnership concept.

Comrade Speaker, I believe that these practical proposals can be the basis, and effectively serve to bolster the Industry’s revenue.

Cde Speaker, for those who are obsessed with taking the denationalisation route, need be reminded of the industry’s importance to our country:1. It employs the largest number of workers in the country, some 16,000 persons; 2. Its factories facilitate the canes grown by about 2,000 farmers; 3.

All told, about 120,000 Guyanese - whether as employees, cane farmers, suppliers of materials or service providers - and their dependents benefit tangibly from the industry;

4. As the largest nett foreign exchange earner, the industry accounts for a significant proportion of our country’s annual foreign exchange earnings; 5. A significant proportion of the industry’s revenue is circulated locally, thus enhancing all businesses; 6. The industry’s expansive drainage network throughout the sugar belt facilitates the drainage of many surrounding villages; 7. The yearly training of skilled graduates from the Port Mourant School benefits many enterprises in the country; 8. And, Comrade Speaker, what future would our famous Demerara Rum have without our sugar industry?

The foregoing demonstrates the industry’s enormous reach, and some of its interest spread throughout the length and breadth of Guyana.

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Maybe this is what prompted Prime Minister Nagamootoo to say at the National Cane Farmers Conference on August 14, 2015 that “The focus is to make sugar work. We have too many workers who stand to lose with the collapse of the industry; so it is no question that we have to make it work.”

I wish to emphasize that the sugar industry ought not to be seen only from a bottom line dollar position, but from a comprehensive macro and holistic position of what it contributes to our social life and the nation.

This fact justifies our financial intervention; which is not unusual, as several developed and developing countries subsidize, as necessary, their vital agricultural industries.

Comrade Speaker, fellow Members of Parliament, an Internet search on state support to sugar industries will bring up some really interesting information, like, “Today, Brazil spends at least US2.5 billion on sugar subsidies. Brazil has repeatedly bailed out a domestic sugar industry that struggles despite all subsidies. Thailand, another major exporter of sugar, pursues similar policies...”

And another statement says:- “that more than 100 countries produce sugar and subsidize its production and export...”

Comrades, those who refer disparagingly to our sugar industry need to remember the sugar levy, whereby GuySuCo, for two (2) decades, between 1976 and 1996, forked out US$286.49 million or G$58.73B in today’s terms to the State as levy. Before the industry’s nationalization in 1976, a significant sum as a sugar levy was extracted too. Moreover, some G$25B would have reached the Government’s coffers arising from the EU Sugar Sector Budget Support programme, some of which are yet to reach the right place – the sugar industry.

Cde Speaker, Comrades, we should not be shortsighted and go for unsound solutions and support miniaturizing or downsizing our sugar industry. Instead, as Guyanese, let us all seek to save it, and let us build on the economic foundation that was created, especially over the past twenty-three (23) years.

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Region #3 Comrade Speaker, as a Regional Member of Parliament representing Region #3 – Essequibo Islands/West Demerara – it will be remiss of me not to reflect on this important Region.

I must express my disappointment that the region - which is the third most populous in our country, boasting some 107,416 residents - has had its capital programme unnecessarily curtailed this year. And according to the estimates presented, approximately G$202M were allocated for this purpose. This is a significant decline from the Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC) revised Budget, in June, 2015, of G$306M. Indeed, the dramatic cut would tremendously hamper the region’s capital works programme and prevent it from adequately fulfilling the demands of the many residents. Due to this reduction, we can expect to see deterioration of important roads and bridges; and in the health sector, purchases of important medical equipment will be affected. The slash will certainly affect progress in Region Three.

I must also mention, Comrade Speaker, the state of the main access bridge to Patentia Housing Scheme, which collapsed in May this year. I understand that a resident’s petition seeking the construction of a new bridge was sent to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. I wish to take this opportunity to urge the responsible Minister to heed this request and to ensure the necessary funding is provided to have a new bridge constructed as soon as possible.

I also wish to request that immediate attention, through remedial work, be brought to bear on the roads along the West Bank of Demerara, including the two (2) Canals Polders. I urge the Government to work towards the complete rehabilitation of the entire West Bank Demerara road through follow-up work that has already been done by the PPP/C. Comrade Speaker, over recent years, like other Regions, Region Three (3) has seen economic expansion and growth, resulting in a robust and thriving economy. This was due to the work of the regional council and the encouragement and inputs of the PPP/C Administration. This is a trend that should continue. I, like the other citizens of that Region, would remain alert to ensure that the gains made thus far in the raising

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of people’s living standards do not unravel due to neglect or for whatever reason.

Conclusion Before I end my contribution, Comrade Speaker, allow me a comment on the Old Age Pension issue, which was also referred to by my other colleagues.

The majority of beneficiaries of Pension were our working people. As one involved in Trade Unionism, I am very despondent and displeased that the Gov’t has indulged in a ‘give and take’ approach. This is not any new approach. This is reminiscent of age-old capitalist trickery. What appears to be an increase in my layman’s calculation represents instead a shortfall of $1,333 every month for every pensioner, if we take into account the promised $15,000 and the withdrawals of electricity and water subsidies.

Comrade Speaker, as I said at the beginning of my contribution, the Budget address, though long, is very short on fulfillment of promises made to the Guyanese people.

If broken promises are indications of what lies ahead for our country and our pensioners, our workers, our farmers and our business people, then we are looking at what may not be so promising a future. Comrade Speaker, I hope that it will not be so.

Already, certain tasks confront our nation. One important task is to ensure the return of democratic elections – a task which if not achieved, will almost certainly affect our national unity, our prestige abroad, our development performance, and our dignity as a people.

Comrade Speaker, I look forward to this new Parliament taking the necessary steps to correct our democratic deficit and setting us on a new, INDEPENDENT course of Progress and Prosperity.

Thank you

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Tribute by GAWU General Secretary Cde Seepaul Narine, to Cde Nun Persaud September 22, 2015 Blankenburg, West Coast Demerara It is always difficult when we have to cope with the death of someone, especially when the deceased has been a close comrade-in-arms, a colleague and activist of many events that left a mark in our Trade Union struggles and our political development. Comrade Nun Persaud was one such person.

‘Nunskey’, as he was popularly called, had a long relationship with GAWU. He became an activist of GAWU during those difficult years when GAWU was struggling to become the recognized union of sugar workers.

Comrade Nun Persaud started his work life as an ordinary field worker at Versailles and Schoonord Estate, where he was tasked with different jobs, among which was cane cutting and loading. At work, he is known to have enjoyed a good working relationship with his peers. When the GAWU, through consistent struggles, became the recognized Union of the field and factory workers in the sugar industry in 1976, Cde Nun Persaud was soon after elected by his fellow work mates to be a shop steward or gang representative, a position he held for a few months. Subsequently, at one of the GAWU’s General Council meetings, he was appointed to the highly responsible position of the Union’s Field Secretary at the Estate.

In that position, he was able to serve and represent the interests of his fellow workers at a higher level.

Following the sudden closure of the Versailles Estate factory in 1978, which was followed soon after by the cane cultivation at that location Cde Nun was transferred to the Union’s Head Office in Georgetown.

At the Head Office, Cde Nun Persaud proved to be a diligent worker and a staunch comrade, always willing to do work beyond his regular assignments. For those who remember those days, they recall that Cde Nun was an example of stability and was unwavering in his Trade Union and working class stances.

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Apart from his specific work, Cde Nun Persaud was almost a prominent fixture at the many protests that the Union was engaged in. He was there in solidarity with the four (4) Union Movement – GAWU, CCWU, GBWU and GPSU – and later in solidarity with the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) or with GAWU itself, in demonstrations and protests, calling for better pay and improved working conditions in the sugar industry. Cde Nun was an outstanding activist, dependable in struggle, and of course very noticeable by his tall structure. No less, and perhaps with greater commitment and support, he was there in every political event on the streets, whether outside the Parliament Building or elsewhere, to return our country to a democratized way of life.

But Cde Nun’s interest was not limited to the Trade Union field. He also demonstrated a keen interest in the politics of our country. He was always present where the action was. He was particularly active in the activities which were demanding a return to democracy in Guyana. By his involvement in trade unionism, and also for political goals, Cde Nun showed a developed consciousness and a commitment to progress of our society.

He was an active member of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), and as an activist, he promoted the sale of Mirror Newspaper and local political literature, as well as Socialist literature coming from overseas. His political and union convictions, like those of so many of us, were inspired by Dr Cheddi Jagan, who was his inspiration and the leader he dearly ad- mired.

In the face of opposition, Cde Nun stood his ground. One telling incident comes to mind. I am aware of the time when an adversary once confronted him, but he was not intimidated. Instead, he told his aggressor, “I will find you if you hit me”. And, of course his aggressor, before such courage, did the wise thing and did not pursue his mission, and turned away like a lamb.

Even well into his ill-health, Cde Nun retained a lively and aboveaverage interest in Trade Unionism and politics. As a worker, as a Trade Unionist, and a member of the PPP, I can say with confidence that Cde Nun Persaud showed the interest and the will to actively discharge Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

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responsibly his duties to his comrades, his community, and for the future of the country.

Comrade ‘Nunskey’ made valuable and remarkable social and political contributions in his working and adult life. He developed and utilized his strength and energy in assisting working people to strive for, and achieve, a better life.

Comrades, we of GAWU are proud to have had him as a colleague among us. He is one of those who performed exceptionally well in his work and going about his tasks. If today we can identify the progress of GAWU and the all-round advances of Guyana over the past twenty (20) years, it is because alongside our leaders, there have been, and still are, stalwart comrades like Cde Nun Persaud. We salute him as we pay respect to his life and memory.

Allow me, on behalf of GAWU and its large membership, and on my own behalf, to extend heartfelt condolences to his children: Rosalind, Ranee, Map, Roosha, Ellen and Nanda; his grandchildren, great grandchildren, his many in-laws, and relatives and friends, on his passing.

We say farewell to you, Cde Nun Persaud, friend and comrade.

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Contribution by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to 2016 National Budget Debates February 11, 2016 Parliament of Guyana, Public Building, Georgetown Comrade Speaker, I rise to make my contribution to the 2016 National Budget. Between the previous Budget presentation and this one, there has been a short time-span. Nevertheless, during that time, several matters worthy of note took place domestically and internationally.

With regard to international developments, economic experts tell us that 2016 will be yet another year of weak economic performance globally, with only a few countries doing well. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has predicted that tens of millions will swell the unemployed numbers. A study by Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (Oxfam) has re- vealed that inequality has grown over the last year, thus bringing into sharp focus the divide between the “haves” and the “havenots”. Expectedly, the ranks of the poor will increase, and at the same time, we are seeing that the ruling elite of many developed countries are placing austerity burdens on the backs of workers, students, pensioners and farmers. Alongside such economic deterioration, there are unjust wars, violent conflicts, a new emphasis on militarism, various animosities among people are being promoted, and nuclear conflagration is today threatening humanity.

But, Comrade Speaker, there is also a silver lining that has appeared.

From, the developed countries to the developing ones, a new activism has emerged. In their millions, workers, students, women, farmers and the oppressed are fighting back. And, hopefully, such militancy will result in a world order that will be based on such values as peace, progress and prosperity.

At the domestic level, Comrade Speaker, these recent months have been marked by a high level of despondency coming from a major section of our workforce. I refer to the workers: field, factory, clerical and other segments of the working population within the sugar industry.

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Comrade Speaker, in this second National Budget of the APNU/AFC Coalition Government, expectations that workers generally will be better off have been dashed. The silence about the plight of workers in the sugar industry tells its own story. It’s a sad story. Although, on page seven (7) of the Budget presentation, the Finance Minister stated: “the sugar industry returned a creditable performance - in 2015, with production growing by 6.9 percent to 231,145 metric tonnes. Though this level of production is still below the average achieved in the previous decade, the industry is showing encouraging signs of recovery. This, no doubt, can be attributed to new management and the measures taken to increase efficiency and productivity.”

Without belabouring the point, Comrade Speaker, I need to emphasise what is already known; that in productive enterprises, it is the workers who are the key and decisive force to ensure encouraging levels of performance and production. Yet, Comrade Speaker, for this increased production referred to by the Minister in his address, the workers of the sugar industry are the only section of the State’s employees that received nothing, or zero, in terms of wage adjustment in 2015. It is a downright discriminatory act against them.

2015 was the first year for over thirty (30) consecutive years when workers in the sugar industry received no increases in pay. Comrade Speaker, in harder times, the workers’ worth was safeguarded, their importance acknowledged, and they received an increase which played a key part in maintaining their families, paying their bills, and keeping up with the ever-rising cost-of-living.

Comrade Speaker, this year, the Honourable Minister indicated that $9 billion would be provided to the sugar industry. While it is commendable, I need to point out that it is also $3 billion less than the sum of $12 billion that the Prime Minister announced while in New York during a recent meeting he held there, and which was reported in the media. Comrade Speaker, this shortfall to the industry, at this time, will surely hamper the present efforts to turn around the industry’s misfortunes. Indeed, Sir, the allocation of only three-quarters of the requested sum needed

by GuySuCo will detract from the progress made so far, and delay the implementation of plans to return the industry to a viable state.

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Comrade Speaker, in considering the Government’s $9 billion subsidy and the prospects of the sugar industry, which, in spite of its trials, still makes a sterling contribution to our economy and social life, one cannot ignore the vexing issue of the closure of Wales Estate, which has been mentioned in recent weeks by the Corporation as well as by Government officials.

The decision of closure, Sir, will affect some 2,500 workers and farmers directly, and thousands more indirectly. It is a decision, Sir, taken without any credible study done. It is a decision that even the Sugar Commission of Inquiry (CoI) did not recommend. The haste with which the unpopular decision has been taken makes one wonder if there is more in the mortar than the pestle can pound.

The Ministry of Agriculture and the GuySuCo, in justifying the decision on Wales, Comrade Speaker, called attention primarily to the poor drainage and irrigation and bridges infrastructure; the condition of the fields and the aged factory which would require, we are told, major investment.

Comrade Speaker, the reasons given for the closure of Wales Estate are clearly overstated. Moreover, those reasons certainly do not reflect the improvements done in recent times both in the field and the factory, and which involved substantial expenditure. That the factory is old and underperforms betrays a lack of knowledge of what has been done to the Wales factory. Since this seems to be the main of the four (4) reasons advanced for closing the Estate, allow me, Sir, to point to a few relevant factors.

In terms of years, Wales’s factory would be as old as maybe all the other sugar factories, with the exception of Skeldon. However, whatever its age, let it be noted that the factory is designed to crush 102 tonnes of cane per hour. At this time, it is currently processing between 96 and 98 tonnes.

Additionally, Comrade Speaker, over recent years, many vital components have been replaced as is necessary. To this end, I wish to point out that the cane knives at Wales factory are similar to those utilized at four (4) other factories; its mills are similar to those used at Blairmont and Uitvlugt

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factories; the boiler is like the ones used at Rose Hall and Uitvlugt; the evaporators as well as the pans are of the same model used in five “old” (5) factories, and the baskets used are even better than those used in other factories.

I refer to these updates about the Wales factory to show that the socalled “age” argument cannot really be a serious or strong reason for the arbitrary shutting down of Wales Estate.

Comrade Speaker, I wish to remind this Assembly that the quite expensive CoI, in reflecting on closure of Estates, said on page thirty-seven (37) of Volume One of its Report that “the CoI does not recommend the closure of any estate at this time”. The CoI, in reflecting on closure of estates, at page thirty (30) of the same report said, “They took into account the current state of the economy, which lacks vibrancy, with awareness of the problems in the rice industry, the low market price of gold, and the level of ‘unemployment’”; and at page thirty-one (31), the CoI said, “the effect of closing any estate without planning and adequate notice to cane farmers has serious consequences, not only for the employees and private farmers, but for the communities as well” . This, I think, was a reasonable advice. It was discarded, obviously. Thus I am prompted to ask:- Is this the fate that awaits the report of this costly Commission?

Comrade Speaker, it is instructive that we be reminded that all political parties during the elections campaign spoke up in support of the sugar industry. They left no doubt that the industry would be maintained; closure was not mentioned at any time. Yet, in a mere matter of months after the National Elections, we are faced with this painful prospect of closure, which will put hundreds on the breadline, and bring greater hardships - if not ruin - to hundreds of cane farmers and self-employed.

There is no denying for those who will be affected that the consequences of the closure will be grave indeed. The confusion with respect to who took the decision or where the decision was made would be hilarious if the matter wasn’t so serious. Whatever the source of that decision, be it the GuySuCo or the Cabinet or whoever else, one thing is certain; it will impact negatively on many lives linked to the operations of Wales Estate.

However one looks at it, it is a callous and ill-thought-out decision.

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To those who have made the decision, allow me, Comrade Speaker, to point out and emphasise that the decision will have major implications for the workers and their families, pensioners, business owners, service providers, and others. There will be a real risk of an escalation in the levels of poverty, unemployment and crime, especially within the West Bank Demerara area. Those who made this decision should know that they will aggravate the unemployment situation both for the displaced workers and also the job prospects for the upcoming generations. This comes at a time when employment in areas even outside of the estate’s precincts, such as the city of Georgetown, is most difficult to obtain.

Those who made this decision should be aware that hundreds of cane farmers would face severe risks, as, with the present sugar prices, there will now be the added burden of transporting their canes to Uitvlugt Estate, which will very likely compel many to cease cane-cultivation.

Their crop investments, including machinery costs, will all fall by the wayside. At this time, when renewed initiatives have been and are being taken to take this important industry to its better days - when it used to provide a levy to the Treasury - wrong signals are being given to the workforce as those workers utilize their labour to produce every pound of sugar made.

If the authorities persist with the closure, then we stand to lose not less than 20,000 tonnes of sugar at this moment which cannot be good for our economy at this time or in the near future.

Comrade Speaker, while steps are being taken to effect closure, I ask what and where are the plans that would indicate what are in store for the workers and various interest groups and the communities in the immediate future? What we have are some hazy thoughts strewn around, and neither the recognized Unions in the industry nor the public are told of any well-considered plan regarding what measures and projects are in the pipeline, if there are indeed any at all.

I note, Comrade Speaker, GuySuCo’s Chairman, Professor Clive Thomas, in the February 07, 2016 edition of Stabroek News, saying that some lands would be given to displaced workers to cultivate cane and other crops. While this idea is not a new one, it is being promoted in a different context. This is a suggestion that, I believe, requires study and thought,

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as it is not as straightforward as one may think. Commonsense tells us it would involve heavy costs. And also, certainly, an examination of the soils in identifying suitable crops has to be done, the training of the new farmers, the setting-up of facilities for storage and processing of the outputs, and the identification of suitable and compensatory markets, among other things, are important components of such a venture. In view of the GuySuCo Chairman’s disclosure, I would presume that this matter would have been discussed thoroughly and fully, and that the responses are available to the valid and reasonable issues I raised. I urge the Minister of Agriculture as well as the GuySuCo Board Chairman to share without delay with the workers, their Unions, this Assembly and the Guyanese public these plans, given their importance.

Comrade Speaker, at this time, too, one can see that widespread objections to closure and condemnation of the decision by the growing numbers of knowledgeable and concerned Guyanese are justifiable. I and the Union I represent urge the concerned authorities from the Corporation and the Government not to persist on this path. This path is to condemn many thousands of our compatriots to hardships that could very well be avoided. I also say that seeking to sideline the Trade Unions and not respect their legitimate role should be discontinued.

What is worrying, too, Comrade Speaker, is that Wales could be the first of many such painful stories. GuySuCo, in a letter to sugar workers dated January 29, 2016, said inter alia, “…the Corporation took a decision to diversify the industry into non-sugar ventures, and they have identified the Wales Estate cultivation for the first of such projects”. The statement is profound, and I believe it implies that the closure thrust perhaps is just beginning. The cessation of cane-growing in Guyana will surely be a disastrous blow to the well-being of the Guyanese people, and the country’s economy, too.

Comrade Speaker, I believe that Wales Estate can overcome its current hurdles and difficulties. I recall that the Estate’s average sugar production reached about 30,000 tonnes during the 2002/2004 period. I am sure that a potential production of 35,000 tonnes is possible in the not-toodistant future, once continued necessary inputs are available and there is a motivated workforce and an able management. There is also the view that a commitment to secure Wales would also incentivise farmers to

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replant about 500 hectares of land which has been retired; and if done, will be a big boost to production, which the industry needs presently.

Value-added initiatives, such as the production of brown sugar as a form of health food, is a market which is gaining traction in some developed countries, and one which should be explored. Taken together, these are possibilities that would certainly bring about a positive turnaround.

Comrade Speaker, while support has been given to the ailing industry, that support did not translate to wage increases for workers in 2015.

In fact, sugar workers were doubly hit by no wage increases and by a high-handed approach in fixing their API award. These are unfortunate developments in the industry. The workers are obviously being penalized, but for what? In the final analysis, while the workers and their families are made to suffer, the Minister of Finance, I am sure, will underline the importance of that industry to our economy, and those who we depend on to keep it going need to be encouraged, and not discriminated against.

Comrade Speaker, sugar, whether at the macro or micro level, at the same time, is much more important than finance and economics. We must take consideration of its social impact, the benefits enjoyed by various communities, its training programmes that impart technical training for youth, together with other factors, all of which carry significant weight and cannot be excluded from any assessment of the industry.

The sugar industry has a major contribution to make to our economy now, and moreso can be turned around within a few years. Closure and/ or privatisation is not the option to follow. Let us be reminded that, through the sugar levy, GuySuCo, for two (2) decades, between 1976 and 1996, paid G$58.7 billion, in today’s terms, to the Government as a levy.

Hence this APNU/ AFC Government should not hesitate to support the sugar industry.

We need to go forward with the many feasible measures identified to revive the sugar industry. We need to avoid doing those things that will roll back the consistent efforts needed. Immediately, one of those things is to rescind the decision to close Wales. This was underlined at a panel discussion held on February 05, 2016 at the Moray House Trust, where participants from all walks of life were strong in their rejection of closure.

There is a widespread mood in the nation that disagrees with closure. I

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call on the Government not to ignore that sentiment.

Comrade Speaker, the treatment of sugar workers during the last year and the impending closure of Wales Estate are ominous indicators to the working- class and farmers of Guyana. Let me agree with my colleagues: the ‘Good Life’ envisaged in the Budget may not apply to very many of them. In sugar, the Wage and API issues, rolling over from last year, remain outstanding. These issues, among other things, need to be addressed if the ‘Good Life’ is to have any meaning, and not remain a mere slogan.

As we get ready to mark the 50th Anniversary since our Independence, we should rejoice in the freedom that was won out of our people’s struggles, and not feel or harbour a sense that an oppressive state is in the making, which is undermining that freedom; and the colonial tactics of divisiveness may be creeping up on us yet again, let us ensure that this is not so; we still need to forge National Unity and build our Nation.

Thank you.

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Address by GAWU General Secretary Cde Seepaul Narine, to Critchlow Wreath Laying Activity on April 24, 2016 at the Public Buildings, Georgetown

I bring you greetings from the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG). For us in the trade union movement; indeed, for all Guyanese, Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow is an exemplary Guyanese whose work and legacy have done our nation proud while being a continuing inspiration to the Guyanese working-class particularly.

Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow stands tall as the most important figure in the birth and growth of the labour movement in British Guiana. The origins of the trade union movement are traced to a strike by waterfront workers for increased wages, in November and December 1905. This strike was led by Cde Critchlow, and it was his participation and role in this strike that catapulted him into the public eye as a workers’ leader.

The 1905 strike clearly demonstrated to Cde Critchlow that there was a pressing need for a trade union in the country, then a British colony.

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their lives. Following 1905, a number of strikes took place. One at the waterfront in January 1917 yielded a 10 per cent increase in wages and a reduction of daily working hours from ten and a half hours to nine hours. A strike in December 1917 yielded another 10 per cent increase in wages.

Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow became the undisputed leader of waterfront workers, and workers generally. But he soon paid the price when in 1917-18, he organised a petition for an 8-hour working day. The then Chamber of Commerce pressured him to withdraw his name from the petition, he refused to do so, and was immediately fired from his job on March 1918, and blacklisted from obtaining employment.

Being unemployed, he devoted his time and energies to the campaign for an 8-hour work day. In December 1918, he led a small delegation of workers to the Governor. After that meeting, he decided that the way forward was through a trade union, and he immediately started to make arrangements for its formation. The British Guiana Labour Union (BGLU), the first trade union in the colony, was eventually established on 11th January, 1919. Critchlow had received support from all over the country and abroad, particularly from trade unions in Britain.

Critchlow was employed on a full time basis by the union. He was Secretary/Treasurer, and later sought a seat in the Combined Court, the ‘parliament’ at the time. There, he opined, he could make political representation on behalf of workers. He never stopped being a spokesman for the workers, and publicised their grievances and demanded improved working conditions and better wages for them.

The employers saw the Union as a force aimed at fomenting industrial unrest, and issued threats to workers who were union members.

Despite this, its membership grew rapidly and the Union gained many improvements. One of the most significant achievements was legal recognition for trade unions, gained in June, 1921. This recognition was achieved with the support of the Colonial Office in London and the British Labour Party.

His experience in the workers’ struggle led Critchlow to the view that the established capitalist system was not beneficial to the working class.

In December 1930, in an address to members of the union, he called for

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workers to fight against capitalism and to struggle for the establishment of socialism.

Despite this hostility, the Trade Union movement began to spread. By 1941, the British Guiana Trades’ Union Council (TUC) was established, with Critchlow as its first General Secretary. By 1943, fourteen (14) unions were affiliated to this umbrella body. Significantly, the TUC joined the World Federation of Trades Unions (WFTU), a courageous step at the time, given the budding Cold War atmosphere after the end of World War II. Notably, also, Cde Critchlow championed demands for the extension of the right to vote, so that all workers could participate in national elections. Some leaders of other unions also agitated for this cause.

In 1943, Critchlow was nominated by the Governor to represent workers in the Legislative Council. In 1944, he was appointed to the Executive Council, and served in this position until 1947. In the 1947 National Elections, Cde Critchlow contested and won the South Georgetown constituency. However, as a result of a petition, his election was declared null and void.

For his outstanding public service, Cde Critchlow was awarded the medal of Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in 1951. In the following year, he resigned as General Secretary of both the BGLU and the TUC. In 1957, a moving incident took place. It was a May Day when a contingent of workers on parade and led by Dr. Cheddi Jagan saw Critchlow standing by his gate watching the parade going by. Dr. Jagan then broke ranks and walked over to the gate, then took him to march at the head of the parade. Later, on the demand of the workers, he was allowed to address the May Day rally.

We, from the Trade Union Movement, should recall that Cde Critchlow, serving as General Secretary of the TUC, ensured that May Day was observed annually by unionised workers with marches and rallies. He made regular demands, during his annual address to workers, for the day to be declared a public holiday, but this was not achieved until 1958.

As we reflect and celebrate the life of this outstanding comrade and Guyanese, we, from the FITUG, take this opportunity to express

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satisfaction at the concerted attempts to forge unity within the trade union movement. We remain optimistic that the relations built in recent times will grow and strengthen, and redound to the benefit of the workers and people of Guyana.

We well recognize that unity among workers and their unions is essential to confront the challenges facing the working class in our country. We remain hopeful that unity can be realised. Disunity can only serve those who are enriched by the work done by workers. Unity, as history shows over and over again, serves the working-class’s immediate and long-term goals. Let us hope that our unity cause is not undermined by partisan political objectives and expediency.

As we commence the observance of Labour Week 2016, the FITUG is concerned and worried over the rising unemployment in our country.

We recall that not too long ago, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) stated that youth unemployment was as high as 40 per cent. Yet, in view of this harrowing statistic, job creation is hardly being pursued.

In fact, we see the ranks of the unemployed being swollen. In this regard, the planned closure of Wales Estate and the cessation of operations at LBI Estate, the reduction of investments, victimization, the troubles within the rice sector come to mind. We believe that at this stage of our development as a nation and people, this is a disturbing reality, which can lead to greater worries and anxieties, and which our Trade Union Movement cannot ignore.

The FITUG believes there are before us many other concerns which require our attention. These concerns embrace economic and democracy issues. We, in FITUG, hold the view that our unity and our united efforts will make a sterling contribution to resolve these matters, and that would redound to the interests of our working-people and their secure future.

The FITUG urges that, in our celebration of Labour Week, we, as a class within society, should take account of the advances we have made since the time of Cde Critchlow, and keep before us also the challenges which still lie in our path. We believe that together we can overcome those obstacles and blaze a path for a better tomorrow – a path that can fittingly honour the memory of our working-class hero, Cde Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow.

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Address by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand, to Labour Day 2016 Rally May 01, 2016 National Park, Georgetown

Introduction On behalf of FITUG, I greet all workers here on this important red-letter day of the international working-class. We join the millions in some 80 countries who, like us, are celebrating this day and reflecting we on their history, their ongoing struggles and their future.

This year, we pleasingly acknowledge that our two (2) union blocs stand united in celebrating Labour Day. This is an important milestone in our history. Hopefully, it is a new beginning to bring about enduring unity at the Trade Union level, based on a fair, just, and democratic foundation. We, of FITUG, share the view that unity is essential in order to effectively safe- guard our gains, expand our achievements, and realise our working-class aspirations. As a major segment of our population, the unity of our ranks will surely impart strength to our expectations that we be consulted; that we be involved on matters of national importance and the development of our country.

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FITUG sees good prospects ahead for strengthening this Unity. If our two (2) bodies have the will, it can surely happen.

Celebration of this day must unavoidably make us recall its origins. It has its beginnings in the fight for an eight (8) hour work-day. A major struggle in 1886, involving some 80,000 workers, took place in Chicago, USA. Several of the leaders of that struggle were sent to the gallows, scores were arrested and imprisoned, but that heroic struggle inspired the Second International, a Socialist Organisation, to adopt a resolution in 1887 for May 1st to be observed as International Workers Day. Since then, many Governments have approved May 1st as a national holiday.

Here, the British Guiana Labour Union, under the leadership of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, began the tradition of May Day way back in 1930.

But it was not until 1958 that it was approved as a national holiday.

International Situation As in recent years, May Day 2016 finds our world a troubled place with grim realities. Under various pretexts, wars of aggression have laid waste several countries; millions have been uprooted from their homes and have been made to face starvation, and there is widespread destruction and death. More wars, it seems, are in the making. Poverty is claiming numerous victims by the day. Developing countries are having their resources looted. In Europe particularly, unbearable burdens are piled onto the backs of the workers by their ruling-classes. Extremist forces have sprouted anew in some countries, while in others we see the promotion, even imposition, of a breed of so-called leaders subservient to the powers that be. And on top of all this, nature is sending us its dire warnings that our planet and humanity face severe threats.

It is instructive to note that the financial/economic crisis that has gripped the world since 2008 is still around. It is a crisis that has left the working peoples poorer and the ruling economic elites richer. Oxfam tells us that the fortunes of the world’s sixty-two (62) richest persons are as much as the poorest half of the world.

Comrades, we cannot fail to empathize with those who unduly suffer the poor, the victims of wars, conflicts and starvation. On this May Day, let us extend a hand of solidarity to the exploited and the oppressed; to the working-class, democratic, liberation, and peace forces the world over. We express solidarity with Socialist Cuba, a dear friend of Guyana; 102 Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

and to the progressive and democratic forces of Brazil, Haiti, Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, and other countries of our region who are pushing back against the intrigues and destablisation activities of reaction.

Comrades, this May Day we, in FITUG, are preoccupied with several matters which impact the work and life of workers, and indeed, the working- people generally.

Local Government Elections We take note that Local Government Elections were held at last, and wish to congratulate the newly elected councillors even as we call on them to serve selflessly in the interest of their electors. There are many important tasks to attend to, and we expect the best from them. Importantly, we also expect the establishment of the Local Government Commission without further delay, and full compliance with the Fiscal Transfers Act. Collective Bargaining On this Workers Day, we must again emphasize our displeasure at the dis- respect shown to Collective Bargaining, a revered Trade Union/ Employer engagement, which was denied to the GAWU last year (2015).

GuySuCo, a few weeks ago, unilaterally and bluntly told the Union “that at no time it would offer an increase for 2015”. The Government’s promise of Collective Bargaining with Unions in the public service has after almost one (1) year, not been fulfilled. Collective Bargaining helps to establish healthy worker-employer relationships. From this Trade Union platform, we urge the authorities to ensure that this commitment for Collective Bargaining is honoured.

National Minimum Wage Comrades, when the National Minimum Wage was implemented in 2013, we heartily welcomed it. It meant that no worker in the private and public sectors would be paid less than $202 per hour. But the rising cost-of-living and increased taxes, among other things, now require adjustments which we expect the authorities to act on.

Crime Another vexing issue that is of concern to us, our communities and people from all walks of life is the crime situation. Clearly, we are experiencing yet another spike in criminal activities. The violent dimensions and frequency of occurrences have raised concerns and anger at every level Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress 103

of society. We, of FITUG, believe the situation is very serious. We need assuring results, and the relevant authorities need to regularly review their tactics to contain, reduce, and eventually stamp out this menace from our midst.

Sugar Industry Comrades, in a matter of mere weeks, our nation will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our Independence. This year will also be the 40th Anniversary of the sugar industry’s nationalisation. As we reflect on the journey we took as a nation, we should not leave out consideration of the sugar industry and its importance to the nation. With this in mind, we feel peeved that the industry’s workers are nowadays being treated in a disdainful manner.

It is lamentable that, for the first time in over three (3) decades, the thousands of workers did not obtain a wage adjustment. GuySuCo bluntly refused to discuss pay rise for 2015. Such refusal to engage in Collective Bargaining speaks volumes, and of course is a violation of laws, international conventions, and our agreements. Not only sugar workers, but indeed all workers, should express indignation over this development. Let us halt it before it spreads. Comrades, issues like Collective Bargaining require our collective action and effort.

Additionally, the GAWU believes that the state has a duty to ensure that its employees in sugar are not unreasonably com- pensated, especially since other state employees have deservingly benefited from a pay rise.

This Labour Day is an appropriate time to recall that thousands who are linked to Wales Sugar Estate have the threat of joblessness and greater hardships hanging over their heads. The closure decision, is a step in the wrong direction, especially in the absence of any impact assessment and in view of the Sugar CoI’s explicit recommendation that no Estate be closed. Our Union urges the relevant authorities to act wisely and not proceed to close Wales. We say:- Put the well-being of our working people foremost in your consideration. GAWU also urges that a similar assessment be done with respect to the present operations at LBI Estate, where for the workers the consequences of closure are also dire.

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Comrades, the sugar industry’s state of health and performance are naturally of great interest to us. We believe the challenges the industry faces are not insurmountable. Sugar’s success will redound to the benefit of our economy and assure the employment of thousands of Guyanese.

A key factor for success is GuySuCo’s ability to grow a sufficient quantity of good-quality canes. We have adequate land for that. And given today’s trends, with good management, a satisfied labour force and innovations, the industry can certainly regain its profitable status in a short while.

The promising prospects suggest that the authorities must abandon consideration of closure, and the state must tangibly reassure workers that it stands with them.

Conclusion Comrades, as we celebrate May Day 2016, we are mindful of the arduous path we have travelled and the objectives before us. We still have many battles to fight. Today, bread-and-butter, security and democracy issues are foremost concerns. As workers, we need to be more assertive in demanding our rights. We must be active, involved, and united if we are to score more victories, expand on our gains, and attain our goals.

Conditions today call for our active engagement. Let us join with the working peoples of the world to usher in a new day for us and for mankind. We seek a world order which is founded on peace, ecological responsibility, social and economic justice, and be free of oppression and exploitation. In Guyana, let us strive for a just society, wherein people, not profits, are of primary concern.

At this time comrades, FITUG sends May Day greetings to all our workers; indeed, to all Guyanese.

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Address by GAWU International Affairs Secretary Cde Aslim Singh, to 4th International Conference of the TUI Agriculture June 13, 2016 Paris, France

On behalf of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) of Guyana, I bring warmest greetings to all participants of this Conference. Our Union takes this opportunity to express our appreciation of the work being done by the Trade Union International of Workers in Agriculture, Food, Commerce, Textiles and Allied Industries (TUI). On the occasion of this Fourth International Conference, permit me also to reaffirm the fraternal relationship that exists between our two (2) organisations. We are thankful for the opportunity to take part in this Conference, and personally, I am thankful for the hospitable reception shown to me. I am certain that these arrangements are conducive to, and will certainly contribute to, a successful Conference. This Conference, we are sure, through its deliberations, will give renewed guidance and support to all affiliates, especially in these times when formidable challenges are before us.

At this time, from this platform, my Union wishes to express its full solidarity with the workers, their Unions, and other strata of the French 106 Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

people who are in the forefront of a major fight in defence of their labour and democratic rights. The current workers’ struggle here in France must not only remind us of their militant and rich traditions, but must be seen as yet another indication of a significant rise of the class struggle.

In this regard, we wish to acknowledge the struggles of workers in other European countries - standing up for their rights and resisting the austerity measures of their ruling elites.

With these struggles in Europe and beyond, change is beckoning. At the same time, we must be wary of the responses of the ruling class and their handmaidens, who will use not only repression, as we see, but any means and every weapon at their disposal to protect their interests.

But, the struggles of our day are not limited only to the developed world; possibly on a smaller scale, important workers’ struggles are going on in the developing world too.

In my country, Guyana, our Union has over the last few months, been engaged in various activities, from strikes to demonstrations, to protect workers primarily in the sugar industry. One of the foremost issues we are con- fronting at this time is the Government’s decision to close a sugar factory this year end - a decision which puts in jeopardy hundreds of jobs or some 10 per cent of the sugar industry’s workforce. Additionally, this closure will most likely result in the ruin of some farmers and others in the communities which have grown up and depend on the factory.

In recent months, we have also been engaged in an ongoing struggle for wage increases, which, for the first time in over three (3) decades, were denied to sugar workers; and for a fair production incentive award, rather than the paltry, unjust award imposed by the Corporation and the political authority. Simultaneously, our Union must contend with a retreat by the Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) from the practice of Collective Bargaining, and the flagrant violation of Agreements between the Union and the Corporation, which is contrary to the country’s Trade Union Recognition Act. Comrades, the current workers’ struggles in Guyana, in France and elsewhere clearly demonstrate that the capitalist system and its prevalent neo-liberal model has lost its viability.

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The discredited capitalist/imperialist system stands accused of the economic/financial crises which started in 2008 with feeble signs of a turnaround; with spreading wars under falsified pretexts; in widespread deaths, destructions and the refugees ‘crisis’ facing Europe particularly; with pushing the world to the brink of another world war, which we are told could involve nuclear weaponry; with having a major responsibility for the climate challenges our planet faces today; with the slow abatement, if any, of the age-old problem of poverty existing side-byside with inequality, which is seemingly running amok.

Today, increasingly, concerns are also being expressed in regard to developments in agriculture and food production.

The rise and expansion of transnational agribusinesses have once again shown that private interests are being placed above the good of the general public and of specific communities. Here, too, captialism’s expansion, driven by its desire for maximization of profits with the exploitation of labour, has been detrimental to the environment and to small and medium-scale farmers.

This global agro-industrial complex has been growing, and today we are hearing of “land grabs” in several developing countries, which no doubt means denial of productive farmland to the local inhabitants, dislocation of farmers, and likely destruction of traditional family agriculture. Such developments can only aggravate the already direly impoverished state experienced by many millions in the developing world. We should be mindful that, out of despair, thousands of Indian farmers have resorted to suicide.

The system of capitalism does not have the answers to the problems afflicting the better part of humanity. The challenge presently before us is to lift the struggle to alleviate the hardships faced by the working people, farmers, self-employed, pensioners, women, youth and students. The prospects to win new victories are encouraging, and the TUI must take advantage of the possibilities that have emerged at this juncture.

Comrades, in the ensuing struggles, unity and solidarity are indispensable.

We are well aware that the TUI has fostered and promoted such notions in its work. As we deliberate on charting a course for the TUI’s activities

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in the future, I am sure account will be taken of the multifaceted concerns and anxieties of our times. I am sure also we will assess the potentials and possibilities for our greater accomplishments as we forge ahead towards a just society, genuine humanitarian relationships, and enduring peace in the world.

The world-wide class struggle of today brings fresh hopes that many of our goals and aspirations are within reach. In this complex situation, the TUI, along with other friendly and fraternal international organisations, is expected to continue to give guidance and principled leadership.

Let us, comrades, ensure a successful TUI Conference. Let us not forget we have a world to win.

Long Live Proletarian Internationalism! Long Live the TUI!

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Address by GAWU General Secretary Cde Seepaul Narine, to Enmore Martyrs 2016 Rally June 16, 2016 Enmore Martyrs Monument Square, ECD

On this 68th Anniversary of the martyrdom of five sugar workers, who were brutally gunned down here at Enmore, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) once again joins the nation in paying homage to Rambarran, Pooran, Lallabagee Kissoon, Surujballi and Harri. They have come to symbolize the struggles of the Guyanese working people to better their lives and, in doing so, strike telling blows for freedom from colonial oppression.

The workers’ just demands were met by a hail of bullets. The resort to violent repression by the colonial police was no doubt aimed at suppressing the militancy and determination showed by workers at Enmore and the other estates on the East Coast. The brutality that was then unleashed by the colonial police was captured in several reports of the day.

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The Caribbean Congress of Labour, in its June, 1948 monthly bulletin, said: “The tragic story of British Guiana’s Sugar Workers was written in true colour on June 16th, the colour of cheap working-class blood spilt by the police.”

Historian Basdeo Mangru, in his book, A History of East Indian Resistance on the Guyana Sugar Estates – 1869-1948, quoted: “We saw Lala Bagi dead on the mortuary table, shot through the back. We saw 19-year-old Pooran lying cold dead with a gaping three-inch wound above the pelvis, with his guts hanging out and another bullet through his leg. Rambarran was lying dead with clenched fists, two bullet wounds causing his death. Dhookie [Su- rujballi] died in the hospital the same day, and Harry Jug died the next day from a bullet into his spine. They were also shot in the back” Apart from those who died, many workers were injured by the police action. The shooting of the workers triggered not fear by the people, but their outrage and anger, which was manifested in the longest funeral procession ever seen in British Guiana, and which travelled from Enmore to Le Repentir, Georgetown, where the slain workers were buried.

Enmore 1948 is rightfully remembered as one of the more courageous workers’ struggles, with far-reaching consequences in our history. It was a struggle that was not just limited to improving workers’ working and living conditions, but impacted the politics of our country also.

Dr Cheddi Jagan, in writing about the incident, said: “The Enmore tragedy affected me greatly. I was personally acquainted with all the young men killed and injured.”

He went on to say: “There and then, I made a silent pledge - I would dedicate my entire life to the cause of the struggle of the Guyanese people against bondage and exploitation.”

In less than two (2) years after that pledge, the Political Affairs Committee which was headed by Dr Jagan was transformed - in January, 1950 - into

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the People’s Progressive Party. Written on the main banner of the PPP, among other things, was “Independence”; and under the leadership and guidance of that political entity, a wave of energized and consistent actions was organized in pursuit of that goal. Eighteen (18) years after Enmore, the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead on May 26, 1966 symbolized that we finally got rid of our colonial bondage; the 50th Anniversary of which we celebrated some three (3) weeks ago.

While Enmore’s events gave an impetus to the political struggles for freedom, at the same time, we should not downplay the importance of the workers’ struggles for betterment - a struggle which goes on even in our day.

At that time, close to seven (7) decades ago, the living conditions of workers and their families in Enmore 1948 were atrocious. In most cases, for instance, drinking water was secured from the nearby trenches in which they would bathe and wash their clothing. Their living quarters were largely logies, which the Venn Commission Report noted “quite a number of the corrugated iron roofs were leaking, and the fabric of the buildings was in a general state of decay. In numerous instances, temporary sheets or awnings had been fixed over the beds to keep off the rain. They had mud floors, and consequently, with the rain dropping from the roofs, these were made slippery and dangerous; in many cases we found bags laid over the floors to prevent slipping. They were built without any plan on low-lying ground. There are few, if any, proper footpaths, and in rainy weather communication is difficult. The common latrines, often built over a drainage trench, are frequently in a bad state of repair, with little privacy.”

While working conditions were also horrendous and deteriorating, the sugar planters were benefitting from significant increases in sugar prices. In historian Basdeo Mangru’s book, we learnt that sugar planters were reaping considerable profits as prices jumped from £17.8 shillings per ton in 1946 to £25.2 shillings per ton in 1948, or an increase of over 44 per cent per ton”. And what was offered to the cane cutters? They got a four (4) cent increase per tonne working 12 hours a day, and now they were faced with a new work requirement. Instead of cutting and dropping canes, which was the then practice, they were required to cut and load the canes into punts. For the other categories of workers, the basic rates that they received since 1938 continued.

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The abominable living and working conditions; the extremely poor pay; the long hours of work - longer for women and children - the virtual nonrepresentation and protection from the then recognised Unions; the use of the state machinery, always against the workers - as was the case in slavery - explains the unavoidable rebellious stance of the workers, and their justifiable actions at Enmore in 1948.

But, comrades, we do not see Enmore 1948 as an isolated event of heroic struggles by the plantation workers; but, indeed, as continuing a tradition of a long list of struggles and sacrifices stretching back to the revolts of slaves, of which our history abounds. We recognize that 1948 invigorated and ushered in determined actions for improvement in the working and living conditions, which were generally linked to the demand also for an end to the country’s colonial and subjugated status.

The violent suppression of the slave revolts we know of continued in the era of indentureship. Colonial violence was especially frequent in the sugar industry. It is timely that we recall some of those struggles and violent repressive actions that took place in the sugar industry. We wish to recall that, in 1872, five workers were killed at Devonshire Castle; in 1879, five at Non-Pareil; in 1903, eight at Friends; in 1912, one at Friends and one at Lusignan; in 1913, fifteen at Rose Hall, Canje. After indentureship, thirteen were killed at Ruimveldt in 1924, and four at Leonora in 1939. As we pay homage to the Enmore Martyrs today, let us also honour the memory of all those who were cut down in the struggle against colonial oppression.

Comrades, we have come a long way since 1948. There are several developments that reflect the progress we have since made. But our achievements demand of us our vigilance, to ensure that such gains are not lost or under- mined, but are instead preserved and built upon. The threats of retrogression are ever present.

Look at the world around us. A callous and heartless assault has come down on the working people in Europe and other countries as well. The pressures on the working people come from their ruling economic and political elite seeking to strengthen, perpetuate, and protect their interests at the expense of the workers, pensioners, farmers, youth and students.

In some countries, the spectre of a new colonialism is raising its head;

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we see democratic norms being disrespected; we see the installation of subservient leaders, and the rise of extremists to power.

What is heartening is that we also see the revitalization of the workers’ and other working people’s struggles against the austerity measures: to protect and preserve their gains, to halt the steady deficit of democracy, and to safe-guard their freedoms and rights.

With such developments in mind, we remain concerned about what is taking place in the sugar industry, and its impact on the lives of thousands of workers and their dependents. Here we can say with certainty that the workers’ struggles are continuing. New challenges have been thrown up, and workers feel compelled to defend and safeguard their interests, which from time to time see attempts at their erosion.

While the previous and new Governments have both given financial support to the sugar industry, that support was unfortunately not directly felt in the workers’ pay packet in 2015, making sugar workers the only category of the state’s workers that did not get a pay rise – a denial experienced for the first time in over 30 years.

Then there is before us currently the on-going vexing issue of the closure of Wales Estate, which threatens the jobs of some one-tenth of the industry’s workforce, as well as poses threats to hundreds of cane farmers and many others who earn a living from the operation of the estate.

Until now, neither the Unions nor the public have been informed of a properly studied proposal that the authorities hope to implement on the impending closure of Wales Estate.

Also of importance to our Union is the fate that awaits the scores of workers linked to the soon-to-be-closed operations of LBI Estate. At this time, we recall the resolution unanimously approved on this May Day by workers of the GTUC and FITUG, calling on the Government not to close Wales and the LBI Estate operations. The Government seems not to be listening to the voice of the working people.

Comrades, the state and performance of the sugar industry are of great concern to us in GAWU, and we are sure to many Guyanese too. While,

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indeed, the industry confronts challenges, we are optimistic that, with adequate resources and good management, they can be overcome.

A healthy and viable sugar industry is in the interest of all Guyana from an economic and social perspective. We should not let it go into oblivion. We reiterate that a motivated workforce and a knowledgeable management are key ingredients to go forward, and GAWU is optimistic that the industry can be made viable once again.

Comrades, the Enmore Martyrs and the 1948 struggle, like so many heroic struggles previously and after, have enriched our history. In the face of today’s many and varied challenges, we can draw inspiration from those struggles.

Today, as we reflect on the sacrifices of the Enmore Martyrs and their struggle for a better life for all Guyanese working people, we must express concern at the proposed installation of parking meters in Georgetown and the 100 per cent increase of the Bridge Toll of the Demerara Harbour Bridge. At the end of the day, these will be passed on to the ordinary people, thus pushing up the cost-of-living.

The Enmore Martyrs, once more, showed that we can overcome adversities and win out if our demands are just and our struggles are principled and reasonable. This is their abiding lesson to us.

Thus, in our times, this generation of workers can point to the ongoing relevance of the Enmore Martyrs. Their enduring message should not be forgotten. That message confirms to the experiences of the workers of the world: that unity, struggles and solidarity are necessary for improvements in our work lives and all-round progress.

We salute the Enmore Martyrs! Long Live Our Ongoing Struggles!

Let us go forward and win other victories!

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Tribute by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand to Cde Rooplall Persaud July 16, 2016 LBI, East Coast Demerara

Comrades, it is always difficult to bear the grief that comes with death, and it is even more difficult to face up when death takes a close comrade and friend.

On behalf of the General Council and the membership of the GAWU, and on my own behalf, I extend our condolences on the death of Cde Rooplall Persaud to his wife, children, grandchildren, relatives, and friends.

It was with a sense of deep shock and grief that we learnt of his passing.

We were all caught by surprise, and could not believe the news which spread quickly among the Union’s employees and members and others.

Cde Rooplall never faltered in addressing the responsibilities he was assigned. He was not merely engaged in a job as a ritual, but he applied himself creatively, and often showed initiative when tasks had to be done, even within the timeframe of a working day. He was good at planning and organizing his work, and tackled it in a pragmatic manner. He was always able to get things done. He was honest, dedicated, and highly trusted. We recognized that he found pride and joy in working at GAWU. 116 Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress

As a staff member, he was always kind and friendly to his colleagues and union members who sought representation.

Comrade Persaud shared a long relationship with our Union, spanning many years, even before he became a Union employee twenty-one (21) years ago. As a cane harvester, he was once an effective shop steward and Union activist at LBI Estate, where he represented sugar workers’ interests. Recognizing his ability, his fellow workers supported him to become the Union’s Field Secretary at LBI Estate.

He was also a member of the Union’s General Council and Central Executive Committee for a number of years. Persaud’s prominence in the Union was indeed remarkable. He rose to, and served, as Treasurer and Manager of the Union, and continued to be elected to the post of Treasurer.

As Treasurer, he strongly upheld strict and transparent accountability of the Union’s finances and expenditure. GAWU, over the years, is proud of the fact that its financial records prepared by Cde Persaud had been audited by the Office of the Auditor General, where it was observed that the Union’s finances have been managed in accordance with sound financial management and accountability procedures.

Cde Rooplall was also elected the Secretary of the GAWU Co-operative Credit Union Society Limited. During his tenure, he brought to bear his many practical experiences to promote the Society and its benefits among the workers. Certainly, those many Credit Union members who interacted with him will surely miss him.

Let me not fail to mention, too, that Cde Persaud served on the Board of the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund Committee (SILWFC) for years. That body is charged with, among other things, considering and approving housing loans to qualified sugar workers.

Today, as we pay our respects to an outstanding colleague and comrade; to a friend of the working-people, Cde Persaud, one can say without contradiction, had discharged his responsibility to the Union and its members admirably and with commitment. For us, we hold the view that we must not allow such a sterling contribution to be discontinued

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because Persaud is no more physically with us. Indeed, let us cherish such rich memories; let us continue along the trail he would have helped clear in his lifetime.

With Cde Persaud’s departure, our Union and Credit Union have lost an outstanding leader and supporter. He served in different capacities, and served with distinction. He will be missed very much by the comrades he worked with as well as by the people he befriended.

His children have lost a dear father, and his wife a dedicated husband; and his friends, a dear friend indeed. All who knew him, who interacted with him, would no doubt say he was a good man taken away too early, and when he could have offered so much more service to his family, fellow men, organization and country.

Cde Persaud, the GAWU salutes you.

We say goodbye to a dear friend and comrade of the working class, and an outstanding leader of GAWU. Once again, our sincerest condolences.

Rest in peace, dear comrade.

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Address by GAWU President Cde Komal Chand to Opening Session of GAWU’s 21st Delegates’ Congress August 20, 2016 Bath Primary School, West Coast Berbice

Allow me to join our Chairman in warmly welcoming you to our Union’s 21st Delegates’ Congress. I am especially pleased to welcome former President of Guyana, Cde Donald Ramotar, who is present here. I also wish to acknowledge and extend a special welcome to the distinguished invitees, several of whom are representing friendly and fraternal organisations. Participating in our Congress, too, is a representative of the University and Allied Workers Union (UAAW) of Jamaica, to whom we give a sincere welcoming embrace. And to our guest speaker, Dr James Rose, I take this opportunity to express our appreciation for your ready acceptance of our invitation to deliver the feature address to Congress; and we look forward to hearing from you.

Comrades, four (4) years ago, you will recall, we met at this very location for our 20th Congress. We had spirited discussions then, and the decisions taken and the resolutions passed, I should point out, were acted upon by the GAWU General Council. We concluded on an optimistic note. The years separating our two Congresses, however, have been very eventful, and our optimism has been dampened. Our Union and the workingclass must now contend with different conditions. New challenges have appeared even while old problems still persist. The indications are Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress 119

alerting us to trying times ahead, but as we have shown in the past, I am confident we will show now: that GAWU and the workers will prevail.

The theme of our Congress, “United Struggles for Workers’ Rights, Democracy and a Secure Future”, captures adequately the tasks before us in the conditions of today. We should take note that, in recent times, we have seen the erosion of several hard-won workers’ rights and benefits; numerous workers from the private and public sectors have been set adrift; unfair employment practices prevail; and there are miserly increases in workers’ wages, among other things.

From all accounts, employees of the sugar industry seem to be receiving the brunt of the pressures directed at the working-class. To be sure, though, the unsympathetic approach to sugar workers threatens other sectors of the working-class, and the denial of Collective Bargaining to GAWU hangs like the proverbial Sword of Damocles over the entire Trade Union Movement. These developments of our day demand our militant responses, and must not result in complacency or dulled workers’ fighting spirit. As our theme suggests, we have a future to secure.

International Situation Comrades, while we must get ready to stoutly defend our interests and rights, we must not lose sight of the fact that we are a contingent of the international working class. Workers of most other countries are also saddled with austerity measures imposed on them by their ruling elites.

Hardship, low wages, cuts in services and pensions, and discriminatory practices generally are their lot too. We understand the plight of the workers of the world, as they would appreciate ours. And importantly, with the progressive and exploited working class of the world, we, of GAWU, share the strong bonds of Proletarian Internationalism. In our day, international solidarity is an indispensable weapon in workers’ hands in their overall struggles, not excluding struggles for democracy and for socio-economic change. Indeed, in our contemporary, tensionfilled world, solidarity is growing in significance.

As we focus rightly on the specific issues of concern to us, we must also pay attention to developments the world over, realizing that, directly or indirectly, they impact our lives, our country’s development, and mankind’s future.

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An ongoing concern of our epoch is that of war and peace. The realization that some military conflicts have now entered their fifteenth year troubles the conscience. Others are of less duration, but all have horrifying consequences. They result in war crimes; even genocide, torture, assassinations by drones, growth of terroristic acts, loss of lives of hundreds of thousands, and so on. Disturbingly, these unjust military actions spring from developed countries whose representatives never fail to tell us about democracy, ‘humanitarian’ causes, and human rights.

The situation is now dire. A dangerous new Cold War has begun, and we are told that World War III, which can very well be a nuclear war, threatens all humanity.

Whilst war is of foremost concern, we must not ignore the questions of poverty, violent destabilisation of countries, the reactionary role of socalled ‘colour revolutions’, and the problems of climate change. The latest report from the climate scientists tells us that July has been the hottest month in recorded history – a very disconcerting revelation.

Given such realities, we are duty bound to take a stand and let our voices be heard on these and other matters. Let us, comrades, join with our class brothers and sisters and those other progressive forces who are in the front-lines confronting the reactionary forces and their agents for peace, for democracy, for social justice, for independent development, and for social progress.

Local Situation Comrades, when we last met, we identified those gains and advancements our people and our country have made over the last two (2) decades in various sectors of our society. Today we meet at a time when our domestic situation has grown bleak. Pressures on our working-people are mounting. Increases of scores of taxes and spending sprees seem to be the new order. The circumstances of today suggest that we seriously assess the course we are on, where it is leading us, and the impact of key policies on the lives of our working-people and their future.

Let me take this opportunity to remind ourselves that we subscribe to the view that our resources must go to ensure and contribute to a secure, dignified, and full life of all of our people. In this regard, workers must

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play their part to bring about such policies and developments. Let us struggle to ensure that our dreams and aspirations become realities.

Local Government Elections A noteworthy event since our 20th Congress is the holding of Local Government Elections, which were long overdue. It is of particular interest to us if only because it provides hundreds of workers, farmers, housewives, and others from all walks of life with opportunities to be involved in the administration and development of their communities.

From all reports, these elections were conducted without any major hiccup. And as we applaud the holding of elections, we must also express displeasure at the hurdles that are faced by the local authorities, especially with respect to the release of funds to ensure the Councils serve the residents within their precincts.

Trade Union Unity At this time, I wish to call attention to developments which have the possibility of bringing the Trade Unions under one umbrella body.

You would recall the holding of the joint May Day Rally this year by the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), which is an important step towards bringing about a united body. While this path may not be straight and trouble-free, we nevertheless see that a united trade union movement, committed to promoting the workers’ interests, is a worthy goal to pursue. This is a demand of our times.

Sugar Industry Comrades, the sugar industry has engaged our and the nation’s attention for some time now. This is to be expected, as it is undeniably and unarguably our most important industry. It is also the nation’s single most significant source of employment. The industry also supports the rice and other agriculture sub-sectors in several areas, and helps to manage the anti-flood control systems with its vast network of drainage and irrigation. If the multiplier effects are considered, the economic impact is extended directly and indirectly to commercial banks, insurers, suppliers, and service providers. Thus, should the industry be minimized or gotten rid of, as is promoted and touted by some authoritative persons on grounds of its performance, the repercussions will be far-reaching and catastrophic.

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While, indeed, the industry at this time is confronting challenges and setbacks, our Union is confident that with appropriate interventions, financial and otherwise, the industry can rise again. We faced similar challenges before, and the industry demonstrated its resilience. Our Union’s confidence that the industry could again overcome its current travails remains unshaken.

Indeed, we believe the industry has a bright and sustainable future.

Several feasible ideas have been considered, which, if pursued, can well play a pivotal role in returning the industry to profitability and positively impact our economy and society as well.

GAWU is of the view that the situation requires special efforts at cooperation. Thus we are perturbed by several stands taken, in recent months, by GuySuCo against the Union and the sugar workers - the industry’s most important asset. A most troubling development is the Corporation’s refusal to engage the Union in Collective Bargaining despite the legal obligations for such engagement. Simultaneously, we saw, in 2015, the denial of a pay rise to sugar workers and a rather disgraceful Annual Production Incentive payout, and further note that they were the only group of public employees to be exempted from the Government’s year-end bonus payment.

We are also perturbed by the blatant and unconscionable rollback of workers’ gains won over years and in struggles. Now we must struggle to protect these. From the forum of our 21st Congress, I take this occasion to call on the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of GuySuCo to immediately end the high-handedness, unilateral decision-making, and roughshod displays evident in recent months. We see such attitudes manifested towards the workers of LBI and Enmore Estates, who, with the Union, are seeking to engage in dialogue to reach an amicable and acceptable settlement regarding the situation there. In response, GuySuCo has shut the door to workers and the Union. GuySuCo’s behaviour is indeed strange. It seems that it is making special efforts at creating an untenable atmosphere in the industry.

There is also some revival of talk that the Corporation intends to pursue non-sugar ventures. Bandied about are concepts like ‘New GuySuCo’ and ‘One GuySuCo’. If these notions are references to GuySuCo’s

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diversification intentions, then the Corporation should be reminded that this is certainly not new. It’s a regurgitation of the failed GuySuCo diversification programme of the mid-1980s. The ‘New GuySuCo’, we suspect and fear, would merely be a reflection of the failed past. On this score, we suggest that the authorities may wish to consider some recommendations contained in the Report of the Sugar Commission of Inquiry, several of which we sup- port and think feasible. I need to repeat, too, that the Sugar Commission of Inquiry explicitly recommended that no Estate be closed.

Conclusion Comrades, let us be mindful of the arduous path we have travelled, our successes, and the tasks ahead. Clearly, we still have many battles to fight. Today, in addition to the bread-and-butter issues, security and democracy issues have become foremost concerns. As workers, we need to be more assertive in demanding our rights. We need to work with all, and particularly with our natural allies, the farmers – indeed, all progressive forces – to achieve the tasks and attain the goals we have set. We must remain organised, militant and united if we are to score victories and expand on our gains.

Today’s conditions, nationally and internationally, call for struggles. Let us join with the workers of the world to usher in a new day for mankind.

In that noble effort, we, too, in Guyana, must stand up and be counted.

Our dream is for a world order which is founded on peace, ecological responsibility, social and economic justice, and be free of oppression and exploitation. Let us, comrades, strive for a society in which people, not profits, are of primary concern.

Held at this juncture of Guyana’s development, our 21st Congress has important work to do, especially to determine the way forward and to consider ways to strengthen our various structures.

Let our decisions serve to set us on a path of fresh victories for our workers represented by GAWU; indeed, for all workers.

Forward to success! Long live GAWU!

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Feature Address by Dr James Rose to Opening Session of GAWU’s 21st Delegates’ Congress August 20, 2016 Bath Primary School, West Coast Berbice

Introduction It was with great pleasure that I accepted the invitation to address you at this, your 21st Delegates Congress. Let it be said that you are meeting at a very critical moment in our history. We are, each of us, acutely aware of the impact of firstly, global economic trends in the metropole on the quality of life in the periphery [Guyana], but, more particularly, the policy of the current administration regarding the economic fortune of the sugar industry, employment security, and the general welfare of the thousands employed in, or otherwise dependent on, the industry.

These realities, however uncomfortable, are quite clear. What is now manifest is that economies the world over that were previously admired and envied are now revealing deep structural deficiencies and terminal fragility. This is the challengingly remorseless environment within which we now have to survive. This is the objective context within which we are meeting today and over the next few days.

In this presentation, I shall first of all attempt to demonstrate the current Reaching Out for Betterment and Progress 125

fragile nature of the global economy and its impact on the developing world; then I will briefly focus on the sugar industry, its chronic ailments and deficiencies. Finally, I shall zero in on the concomitant vulnerability of the working class movement in Guyana, given the structural weaknesses in its organization, advocacy, and representation, and the apparent implications for the future of the working people in Guyana.

Commendation Trade unions, whether as guilds or unions, have always been dedicated to the welfare of the working people. Over the years, trade unions have done much to enhance the working life and on-the-job experiences of workers. Trade unions have always been the primary advocate of constructive change, be it in the factory, field or office. Trade unions have single-handedly transformed the management culture of and in industry.

Trade union are the means through which individual workers band together to have their voices heard and their interests defended. They provide workers with a position of strength from which they can negotiate with employers and their organizations. Without trade unions, working people would be rendered vulnerable and unable to protect their living standards and working conditions.

Organised labour has made, and continues to make, significant contributions to the development of our society. Through collective bargaining, trade unions contribute to improving people’s living standards by ensuring they get a share of the wealth created through their labour. In this way, trade unions contribute to combating poverty and advancing social and economic standards within our society.

Trade unions, here in Guyana and across the world, deserve our unstinted commendation for their bravery, dedication and commitment.

Please join me in saluting the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union for its exemplary stewardship over the years. Please join me in commending the Guyana Trade Union Movement which, even though it might have seen better times, continues to soldier on in the interest of the working man.

In the wake of this commendation, please take time off as a Guyanese

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working person, irrespective of your place of work, and ask the question: Is your union in the best possible position today? Then go one further and ask yourself if, in your opinion, the trade union movement is in its best place today. The answer, though uncomfortable, must be recognized if we are to work towards a better tomorrow. For if our union is vulnerable, then we are in a very weak place. The Union makes us strong only when the Union is strong.

Globalisation Comrades, Globalisation is re-engineering a world that is becoming increasingly uniform but profoundly different. The new paradigm is making workers’ rights, wage levels and conditions of work converge at their lowest level. This negative spiral toward the social minimum is increasing, often dragged down by political leaders of countries with low wage levels and restricted social rights, who see this as a way of developing and industrialising their country, while in fact they are mainly accommodating the strategies of the multinationals and their political mandarins.

Please note their absolute dedication to freeing themselves, as much as possible, from labour legislation and the principles of collective bargaining, in the name of free enterprise and competitiveness; In sum, they are bent on reducing the price of labour [labour costs] by every and any means possible. The consequences are conspicuous. The rich of all countries get richer, while the others (the 99%) live less and less well. There are those who argue with considerable cogency that we are dealing with an international class conflict, rather than a conflict between peoples or nations.

The first truth is that Guyana is a small developing country with an open, very dependent economy, and limited capacity for cushioning shocks generated externally. Let us also be honest and admit that the sugar industry, in spite of, or indeed because of, its age and current state of disinvestment, is extremely vulnerable to the ever recurring vagaries of word market challenges.

The second truth is that ‘the global economy is showing further signs of weakness…’

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The world economy was estimated to have expanded by 3.1 per cent last year, but this was over half a percentage point less than had been projected in 2014. If current policy responses are maintained, the outlook is for continued economic weakening, posing significant challenges for global trade, dependent economic subsystems, and the general welfare of the working people.

Tacitly, there has been a steep decline in commodity prices, which has affected commodity exporters who have entered a period of semirecession. Another sign of economic weakness is the fact that global trade, which had typically expanded twice as fast as the global economy, is now growing in line with, or at a lower rate than, global growth.

This economic weakening has caused a further increase in global unemployment. In 2015, the number of unemployed people reached 197.1 million – approaching 1 million more than in the previous year, and over 27 million higher than pre-crisis levels. The increase in the number of jobseekers in 2015 occurred mainly in developing countries.

The employment outlook in some of these countries, notably those in Latin America and the Caribbean, has worsened in recent months.

The global economic slowdown that occurred in 2015 is likely to have an impact on current labour markets, resulting in a rise in unemployment levels. Based on the most recent growth projections, global unemployment is expected to rise by nearly 2.3 million this year, and by a further 1.1 million in 2017. This largely reflects the worsening labour market outlook in Latin America and in other commodityproducing economies like Guyana.

In 2015, an estimated 327 million employed people were living in extreme poverty (less than US$1.90 a day) and 967 million were living in moderate or near poverty. Furthermore, the number of employed persons living in moderate and near poverty has increased since 2000, and evidence from other sources suggests that working poverty is also on the rise.

Further decline in commodity prices is likely to worsen the fiscal position among commodity exporters, and any large-scale expenditure cuts by these economies would have negative effects, thus further worsening the

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objective condition of the working people, especially the labouring poor.

This slowdown in the context of developing market economies reflects a combination of the decline in commodity prices and structural factors.

Indeed, the prices of all main exports from the region have fallen significantly since 2011, including food and beverage products (–29 per cent), metals (–54 per cent) and petroleum (–60 per cent).

Now let’s take a closer look at our region. Latin America and the Caribbean. Yes, the sugar workers of Guyana are in a bad place today, but so, too, are the working people across the world.

The LAC region is one of the world’s most accessible resource vaults. This represents a significant advantage from the perspective of international trade, with the countries of the world in need of the commodities LAC has for sale. The extraction of resources and agricultural produce creates commodities exchangeable for manufacturers and services. The rest of the world produces exactly those capital goods and technology services that we require in order to progress up the rungs of economic development.

But, over time, the barter value of natural resources has steadily declined, and more recently has experienced unprecedented volatility. The nations of the region and other commodity specialists find themselves participants in markets over which they have little or no control. They are faced with the prospect of overheated economies in times of price boom, and painful adjustment processes in times of recession.

When a commodity-exporting country’s terms of trade fall, this involves a loss of economic welfare and a worsening of development prospects, as the capital goods required to finance development become more costly to the commodity exporter. For this reason, the phenomenon of deteriorating commodity prices is the ever recurring nightmare of all the commodity-focused exporters of the region. Note carefully the current agony of Venezuela, an OPEC exporting petroleum mini-giant, and of course Trinidad and Tobago.

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ACP/EU Common Agricultural Policy But there is an even more imminent and daunting precursor on the horizon. Developing countries from the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of States (ACP), including Guyana, have benefited from the export of raw sugar to the EU market. Currently, the EU imports approximately 60 percent of its demand for cane sugar from the ACP countries under the duty-free quota-free access which sugar from these countries have enjoyed entering the EU market. The main exporting product for the majority of these nations is raw solid cane sugar, to be further processed within the EU. The 2006 reforms of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will see the EU move from being a net importer to a net exporter of sugar.

The reforms were introduced through an initial reduction of the EU reference price and minimum price for sugar, and were strengthened by the decision to eliminate sugar quotas as of 2017.

This reform of the EU sugar regime could lead to a 4.2 percent increase in EU production of beet sugar, while imports of cane sugar are estimated to decline by 42.6 percent, mainly due to the replacement of imports from high-cost third countries, like the ACP countries, by domestic production. What is more, the current demand for sugar from ACP countries could decline significantly when the sugar reforms enter into force, due to sugar from competitive sugar producing countries like Brazil displacing ACP sugar in the EU market. The overall implications are daunting, to say the very least.

The Colonial Legacy As we have seen, endemic crisis is a historic characteristic of the cane sugar industry.

Sugar blossomed forth in the second half of the 17th century, enjoyed an unchallenged access to the metropolitan marketplace, and generated unparalleled wealth for all its several stakeholders; planters, traders, bankers, shippers, manufacturers and venal politicians. [Mono culture agriculture] In our case, the British Imperial system was encouraged by the Sugar Lobby to expand its geographical sphere of influence, and by the end of the 18th century, military and diplomatic conquest had added significant territory to the British Empire. Such gains included India, Mauritius, Demerara-Essequibo and Berbice.

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These new territories were encouraged to expand the cane sugar industry, the primary wealth-generating economy at the time. As new territories with extensive terrain, they proceeded to outproduce the old territories, and since they were British territories - like the old territories - they demanded, and won, equal access to the British market. In the 1850s, there emerged the first serious challenge to the marketing arrangements of cane sugar, resulting in the Sugar Duties Act of 1856, which perversely coincided with the labour resource problem caused by the liberation of enslaved Africans, producing concurrent crises in labour and marketing.

‘Ruination’ threatened the industry, which adopted a number of creative initiatives, including mechanization, amalgamation/centralization, scientific research, and modern management techniques. These were of course besides, and in addition to, subsidized labour importation and an iniquitous system of reverse taxation. [Taxing labour to finance the industry] There followed a brief respite, but by the 1880s, the economy was speeding into another terminal recession, this time threatened by a European closed market system which heavily subsidised beet sugar production at the expense of cane sugar, and it was the 1904 Brussels Sugar Convention which not only rescued the industry, but introduced a marketing arrangement [quota system] that saw it survive into the modern era.

In the 1940s, another terminal interlude produced, in 1947, an Act to make provision for the establishment of • a Sugar Industry Price Stabilisation Fund; • a Sugar Industry Rehabilitation Fund; and • a Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund.

AND the woeful tale continued on and on, as did the creative management responses which kept the industry alive.

Employment The true aim of development is not only to boost incomes, but also to maximize human choices by enhancing human rights, freedoms, capabilities and opportunities, and by enabling people to lead long, healthy and creative lives.

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As workers employed in the sugar industry, you played no part in the creation of the conditions, situations and policy mishaps that have created the current crisis, domestic or international. But those who are mainly responsible for the present meltdown have proven themselves conspicuously incapable of finding worker-friendly solutions that will restore economic growth, secure employment, and recapture some semblance of normalcy to the industry.

Critical to this process is meaningful employment, which is central to human existence. Human beings prepare for work as children, engage in work as adults, and expect to retire from work in later life. Through the human lifecycle, quality of life is thus closely bound to the quality of work. Work needs to be seen in the context of a human cycle - our ability to enter the labour market, earn a decent income, and become economically empowered.

From an economic perspective, meaningful employment enables people to earn a livelihood and achieve economic security. But from a human development perspective, it also allows people to enhance their capabilities by providing them with acquired skills and knowledge.

Income from employment helps workers achieve a better standard of living and allows them to have better access to health and education critical ingredients to enhancing capabilities. Meaningful employment also provides people with expanded opportunities and choices in their economic and social lives. It allows workers to participate fully in society, while affording them a sense of dignity and worth.

Reoganisation and Repositioning But there is little doubt that you, as members of GAWU, are best positioned to understand the current difficulties threatening the cane sugar economy and the livelihood of the thousands of people who are employed therein. This is as it should be, for if ever there was a time when you are required to demonstrate resilience, resolve and collective will, that time is now. This is what you, on the frontline of the industry and as the potential victims, need to exhibit if you are to successfully navigate this most challenging interlude.

Crises like the current state of the cane sugar economy require unique

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and unorthodox approaches and solutions, and you must therefore be open, receptive, and accommodating to creative problem-solutions. The old arrangement of mounting picket lines cannot produce the results you seek. Your adversary is not averse to closing the industry. You cannot therefore provide them with the excuse for closure.

To mitigate the predicted decline of the sugar industry we will have to become more competitive through the modernization of sugar production (e.g. through the cultivation of disease-resistant varieties and the impact of improved infrastructure) and consider the diversification of products produced from sugar cane that can be more lucrative products, including green products like cellulose and lignin, ethanol, from polymers in the sugar cane, bio-plastic and bio-fertilizers.

So comrades, as you re-commit to the vision of your founders, I urge you to reflect on whether - even as we lament the unthinking initiatives of the Government, for which there can be no excuse, in fact - there is any felt need to reform some of the ways that you do business; the way you interact; the way you negotiate; and the role you play in the eventual resolution of the current predicament of the industry. This may well be your greatest challenge as well as your greatest opportunity. Above all, for today and all the tomorrows, you must advocate and promote change that reflects the realities of an industry that has always been threatened, given our inability to influence the mood of international market conditions.

As workers, you harbour a legitimate desire for improved standards and quality of life the likes of any developed society. This is your collective desire. This is therefore your collective responsibility. Your leaders are challenged to find new approaches to move you closer to your ambitions, and help your movement remain relevant in the face of an ever-changing and challenging environment. This is a time to become partners, rather than combatants.

It is essential that you refurbish your critical mass in the consultation process. In keeping with this objective, there must be full and broad consultation with all involved in and/or affected by the current crisis in the cane sugar industry. Since you are all closely dependent upon each other, your futures are linked. Jointly, you can all benefit from the

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advantages to be derived from meaningful consultation. It would be unfortunate if the Government were to continue to address the issues by way of press releases, and even worse if they were to do so by way of unilateral decision-making.

At this unhappy juncture, there is a growing sense in Guyana of being at the mercy of forces, both economic and criminal, that are “too big” or “too hot” for the Government to handle. This may be a factor contributing to the waning credibility of the recently elected Government and the declining confidence in the political system. At the same time, a growing sense of becoming a member of the Diaspora is also discernible. This is attributable to a heightened recognition of a loss in confidence, a feeling of heightened vulnerability, and social anomie among the many, rather than the cynical few.

It is not for me to produce the miracle cure, to offer or propose a strategy for the redemption of the industry, the security of your jobs, and general prosperity for all. There are no easy solutions. The real world is a harsh neighbourhood, and as you have seen, it is rapidly changing less for the better and more for the worse. Nevertheless, properly and resolutely managed and endowed with a will to be just, I am persuaded that together you can confront the challenges and reap the benefits. To capture the potential gains, it is necessary for all stakeholders to work together.

In closing, a word for the trade unions in general and the TUC in particular: For too long, you have sought the political kingdom, hoping that all other things would be added thereto. This was a false hope in the 1970s and 1990s, and is a false hope today. Reconsider, reorganise, rededicate. In the 70s and 80s, we strongly believed that the longer the picket line; the shorter the strike. Your strength and your integrity are assured in your unity.

So much for a spectator’s gloomy cynicism.

Declaration GAWU was established in the 1940s, and over the ensuing 70 years, it has survived the best and worst of times. That these are challenging times none may doubt, but all the indications suggest that you are still

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equipped to cope and ultimately to triumph over today’s adversity. I wish you the very best in the days and months ahead.

This Congress is charged with days of focused and productive deliberations, and again, I wish you all the very best.

I wish you successful deliberation, meaningful decision-making, and resolute execution of the mandate of this Congress. So it gives me great pleasure to declare this, your 21st Congress, Open.

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NOTES

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Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union Address 59 High Street and Wights Lane, Kingston, Georgetown, Guyana Tel: 592-227-2091/2, 225-5321, 223-6523 Email: gawu@bbgy.com, info@gawugy.com