Dear Editor,
May Day 2008, was a disgrace for the founder of the first Trade Union Movement in Guyana. Hubert N Critchlow was born in 1884. He saw that the workers were not receiving enough money for themselves and their families.
Many of them worked long hours and lived in cramped houses and others in a few rooms called logies. Most of them were very poor. Critchlow decided to form a trade union to allow workers to have a say in improving their working conditions, increasing their pay, having proper homes and medical attention.
In 1919, the first trade union, the British Guiana Labour Union was formed by Critchlow. Later he became known as the father of trade unionism. In the yard of the Parliament Buildings stands the statue of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow.
In 1946 a 29-year-old Dr Cheddi Jagan moved by the horrifying conditions which existed at plantation Port Mourant and beyond decided to divert his dentistry practice to the task of the poor and the suffering. He joined the MPCA then the sole bargaining agent in the sugar industry and rose to the position as its treasurer.
Dr Jagan soon resigned as he was against company unionism. In 1947 he joined Dr J P Latchmansingh GIWU with a view to provide genuine representation. In 1948 on June 16, tragedy struck. Police shot and killed 5 striking sugar workers and wounded 14 others.The 5 are referred to as the Enmore Martyrs.The shooting led Dr Jagan to pledge to his entire life to the cause of the struggle of the Guianese people against bondage and exploitation.
On March 6,1964, a young sugar worker named Kowsilla was crushed to death at Leonora Estate while striking against poor working conditions. Not only in those days was there struggle; Cuffy fought also for freedom. In 1763, the fight was long and many were killed.
In 1834, Damon led slaves in a peaceful demonstration in the Trinity Parish Church yard on the Essequibo Coast.The authorities arrested Damon and he was later hanged in Georgetown.
May Day, the international day of the demonstration of power, solidarity and gains of workers, has its origin and roots in Chicago, USA, when a country-wide strike on May 1, 1886, immobilized the country’s industrial sector.
Hundreds of thousands of ordinary workers took to the streets and registered their call for more human working and living conditions, and focused on the demand for an eight-hour a day. Several peaceful protestors were slaughtered in this act of workers’ solidarity, and are known as the Haymarket Martyrs.
They succeeded in reducing a twelve-hour working day to ten.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan.
Former trade unionist
