CLERICAL and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) General Secretary, Ms. Ann Anderson was on Sunday laid to rest, following a Thanksgiving Service at the Critchlow Labour College.
Anderson, who was also Vice-Chairman of the CCWU Credit Union, died on March 13 after a period of illness.She was 51.

Hundreds gathered at the Critchlow Labour College auditorium to join the bereaved family members in paying their last respects and getting a glimpse of a fallen hero who had made a significant impact on the trade union movement here in Guyana, and the lives of the workers both in Guyana and internationally by virtue of having had several key leadership positions reposed upon her.

Among those paying their last respects were Minister in the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott; local trade union leaders past and present; and representatives of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), Sarah Finke of the UK and Wilma Clement of Barbados.

There were also many tributes coming from the international community, among them the ITF Regional Secretariat and Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Expressing deep shock at Ms. Anderson’s sudden passing, Minister Scott declared: “She has gone too soon.” He remembered her impact on the Trade Union Movement as phenomenal, noting that she walked in the footsteps of giants in the trade union movement.
“She was a wonderful person to work with,” he said. “She was a keen listener, a shrewd analyst, and showed new concepts of cooperation. Her work in the trade union movement stands as a towering example.

“Moreover, she exhibited the ability to adopt to change over the past decades. Her passing leaves a great void in the movement.”
In the many other tributes, Ms. Anderson was described as a consummate professional; a tower of strength; a go-getter; a mother to the thousands whose lives she’d touched in diverse ways; loving, kind, caring and compassionate; and one who made an indelible impact on the lives of the workers who looked to her to champion their cause.

The service was officiated by Pastor Kerwin Mitchell of the Mocha Arcadia Church, while the Eulogy was read by Anderson’s daughter, Shonette Nelson-Jeffrey.
Following the Thanksgiving Service, Anderson’s remains were taken to Le Repentir Cemetery for interment.