Guyana’s political-bullyism master-class
What’s your preference to describe today’s national holiday? May Day? First of May? Workers day? Labour Day? I like the latter two even as I think the official designation locally is “Labour Day”.
Since I decided that the passing of long-serving Labour Leader Komal Chand, who led Guyana’s largest-ever trade union, warranted my usual tribute to our labour movement, I now offer bullet-points historical flashbacks. That’s because no half-page column such as this would ever do justice to the history and socio-political development of Guyana’s Labour movement.
One of my labour-movement “Bibles” is, of course, Ashton Chase’s seminal work “A history of trade unionism in Guyana – 1900 to 1961.” Every unionist and political student should own and study this comprehensive text. Incidentally my own copy is an autographed gift from Komal (2007); and I must note that the editor of Mr Chase’s cherished publication was his wife Audrey Salamanlay–Chase, who passed away just days ago!
Now appreciating fully that the following “snippets” really do no justice to such characters and events of labour movement history here I never-the-less provoke thought and research amongst our young. Here goes.
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National hero Critchlow: one negative?
The working-class brilliance and lifelong achievements of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow first appealed to me probably because he was like me: no high school, no tertiary/university “qualifications”. Yet he “qualified” head and shoulders, above others so elevated, to be a National Hero (No wonder I was to produce a Supplementary Biography for Schools about H.N.)
● Hubert Nathaniel – Skibby, Sec, Ostrich – Critchlow was born in December 1884 to a Barbadian father and Essequibian mother. His father’s death influenced him to leave his Bedford Methodist school in Standard Four Primary to fend for his mom whom he lived with until her death.
● “Skibby” Critchlow was exceedingly good at athletics, stick-fighting, football and cricket. The Australians who saw him bowling in England whilst on union business, invited him to play in Australia but Critch declined and instead established the first major trade union – the B. G. Labour Union – in the colony and the British “Empire” in January 1919.
● The burly six-foot dock-worker just could not take the labour, socio-economic injustices, meted out against the Lombard Street dock-workers and all of the colony’s working-class, by the merchant employers, silently condoned by the British Colonial Administration. The BGLU was to embrace various low-income but vital workers.
● Critchlow survived various challenges to his leadership by internal forces deemed more “qualified”. But he prevailed and ultimately internationalised the local labour movement around Europe and the West Indies. He is known for using “Comrade” after visiting Russia and for advising workers that “politics follows you from cradle to the grave.”
● In time, Critchlow’s Labour Union was to represent dock-workers, engineers, tailors, stevedores, backers, among others. But Critchlow also promoted the interests of the sugar estate workers! They even called him the “Black Crosby” after the European James Crosby, the British official once tasked with looking after the East Indian Immigrants. A 1924 Riot saw Critchlow in the midst of the protest when twelve sugar workers were shot dead by the Colonial security forces.
● As if to crown his glorious working-class representation, H.N. Critchlow entered the Legislative Council (Parliament) in 1947. He who had confronted and negotiated with various British Governors, was now in the country’s highest forum before he was removed ignominiously. Who succeeded Critchlow’s representation there? Cheddi Jagan!
● But what was the Critchlow negative alluded to above? I promise to return to this issue more fully but former Attorney-General Justice Charles Ramson was eager to show me evidence that H.N. Critchlow wanted the Adult Suffrage Vote (1953) to be denied or delayed to East/Indian sugar workers! Ho-ho-ho!
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Unionist Cheddi, unionist Forbes?
Serious working-class politicians who aspired to national leadership have long appreciated the value of trade unions and the labour movements in their societies.
Cheddi Jagan graduated as a dentist after sojourning in many American cities and after returning to his B.G. home, already with political leanings, became an active Trade Unionist.
● In 1945 he left the “Company Union” MPCA as its treasurer; then became President of the Sawmill and Forest Workers Union (SFW) (1944) and sat on the Trades Union Council.
● In 1945 too Cheddi, as a young unionist, was travelling to the islands to be influenced by top West Indian Labour Leaders who later became Prime Minister. (It should be noted that Cheddi’s American wife Janet, also became a dedicated unionist.)
● Forbes Burnham, to me, from the evidential facts, was less of a unionist than his PPP Party Leader Cheddi. One primary credential earned was championing the PPP’s first Labour Relations Bill in the Legislature even as British troops landed in October 1953 to assist the demise of the first PPP government.
● Of course Forbes was only too glad – and strategically opportunistic – to become the first of many PNC political leaders to head the powerful GLU founded by Hubert Nathaniel.
Now do your research, students and journalist.
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“Fit-and-Proper” GECOM Justices – poor Bharrat
Many many columns ago I had cause to remind and recall that both James Patterson and His Excellency were rejected as GECOM Chairman candidates when submitted by Desmond Hoyte to the PPP government.
His Excellency had a long memory when he deemed 80-plus retired judge Patterson to be Chairman over 18 other nominees. Poor nominees. Poor Bharrat.
Now just what did Dr Bharrat hope for – or expect – when His Excellency found Justice Claudette to be fit, proper, appropriate, excellent?
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PNC political-bullyism masterclass!
Even the current rapacious global pandemic has lent support to His Excellency’s PNC’s political bullyism and diminution of democratic norms.
Ravi Dev beat me to it by a week. It’s no co-incidence nor accident that Old GDF Officers Harmon, Archer, Paul and Craig now man the COVID Guyana Task “Force”. No protest can be even envisaged! Keep your distance from the recount.
Frankly Speaking what force can prevail against the PNC’s formidable fortress right now? Lack of a Budget? GECOM Secretariat’s 24/7 access to the “Recount containers”? Kith-and-Kin Total National Defence (TND) forces? A potentially compliant CARICOM?
Here’s a tip I hope y’all don’t find necessary: devise personal strategies to live under a benign dictatorship. Present yourselves for oil-revenue benefits in months to come. Don’t even go underground. Dislike – but live!
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Ponder, even belabour, today…
● 1) Around the stricken world, national surveillance, restriction of civil liberties and intrusion of privacy are “enjoyed” by governments, citing the battle against COVID. What about Georgetown?
● 2) Are you really immune after recovery from the COVID? Only a vaccine will do!
● 3) I feel that Chris Ram has it accurately. About Justice Claudette. Poor Bharrat. Poor us. Y’all still trust any recount?
● 4) So Editor-in-Chief Adam has started his twilight solo career with a bang?
● 5) Would any Chronicle newspaper ever, ever carry criticisms of His Excellency’s government? (No? Is Juss like de PPP-time?)
● 6) How is the Brigadier getting along? PPP Brigadier Mark Phillips!
● 7) Two COVID Smiles: (a) Keep Social Distance from everyone. Including yourself! (b) the huge passenger flight takes off as the pilot greets his passengers: “Hope your flight is safe. I’m working from home!”
‘Til next week!
