Sugar workers were victimised under PNC Govt

As the sixth session of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry winds down, evidence continues to surface about the dictatorial leadership in every facet of society under of the People’s National Congress (PNC) Government of former Prime Minister Forbes Burnham.

Standing before the three-member Commission on Wednesday was Labour Minister, Dr Nanda Gopaul, who was head of the National Agricultural and Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) during the 1978-1980 era, the period under investigation by the tribunal tasked with probing the circumstances surrounding Dr Rodney’s death.

The team, comprising Barbadian Queens Counsel, Sir Richard Cheltenham; Jamaican Queens counsel Jacqueline Samuels-Brown; and Guyanese-born Trinidadian Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam, is tasked with, among other things, examining the political, social and economic atmosphere during that period.

Dr Gopaul’s testimony covered a range of events highlighting the suppression experienced by the working class, particularly sugar workers, whom it was reported had made up the largest percentage of workers in any sector at the time.

Led into evidence by Commission’s Counsel Latchmi Rahamat, Dr Gopaul used excerpts from his book “Resistance and Change: The struggles of Guyanese workers”, a publication which chronicles the hardships faced by field, factory and clerical commercial workers.

He told the Commission that Executive Members of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) had signed an agreement with Government on the Gy$14 minimum wage requirement.

It was agreed upon too that by January 1979, workers would be entitled to a merit increment. This, he explained was dependent on sugar workers’ performance over the previous year. According to the leader, January had come and the Government had not honoured its obligation. Workers had looked forward for their incentives but in vain.

This, he explained had become a huge problem after a while since the agreements enter into were not honoured.

He said NAACIE challenged the decision, filing several lawsuits with over 250 members making petitions in the court, claiming that the agreement had been breached.

He recorded that several cases had come up in the courts with the unions being victorious. Although these cases were appealed by the Government, the unions and representatives were still successful.

Tyrannical rule

Government then introduced the Labour (Amendment) Act of 1994, which nullified the decision of the court to legitimise the withdrawal of the increment.

Several senior lawyers had also intervened in the matter, making representation for the workers.

Guyana was said to be at the hub of tyrannical rule under Prime Minister Burnham, who had ruled since before the country’s Independence from Great Britain in 1966.

Trade unions in Guyana were said to be a part of the fight to restore democracy and favourable conditions for the working class. Dr Gopaul reported that workers during that period were represented by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), which alongside the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) and NAACIE, fell under the umbrella of the GTUC.

Since 1974, when the Government had instituted a tax on sugar exports, the Guyanese sugar workers represented by the GAWU had been negotiating with the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) on whether the tax should be taken on the workers’ income or only on the profits after compensation had been paid to the workers.

Since Government had taken the tax before workers had received their compensation, GAWU had claimed that the Corporation owed the workers some US$85 million.

GAWU sent a letter to GuySuCo and the Prime Minister threatening an indefinite strike if the sugar company did not agree to pay the workers the US$85 million they were owed, based on the agreement. GuySuCo did not agree to pay the workers that money and so three days later, most of the 21,000 GAWU members went on strike

This massive strike action, which lasted for some 135 days, was held in front of the then Guyana Stores. During those exercises, sugar workers were beaten and harassed by Police as well as members of the House of Israel.

He noted that the ruling party of the day did not hesitate to victimise workers, pointing out that numerous charges were laid against the 100-odd activists.

The unions, which included NAACIE, CCWU, the Guyana Headman’s Union, and the University of Guyana Workers’ Union, agreed to support the strike. They also made a call to the GTUC to begin negotiations so that the strike would end quickly and in the sugar workers’ favour.

The workers were severely victimised. Many within the sugar industry had their appointment revoked; persons who had not completed their probationary period were fired; others received warning letters.