-says statesmanship necessary for unity
SPEAKER of the National Assembly, Ralph Ramkarran said that the struggle of the working class and the organised activity of the trade union movement have substantially determined the course of Guyana’s history.

Delivering the main address at the opening of the 3rd Delegates Conference of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) held at the Umana Yana on Tuesday, Ramkarran said that while Guyana was not unique, “we actually led the way with the formation by Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow of the BGLU (British Guiana Labour Union), the first in the British Empire, registered in 1922 and which influenced political developments.”

He said that the struggle for political independence of many Caribbean territories was led by political movements, either formed by trade unions, or with trade unions as their base of support, or with trade unionists as their leaders.

He noted that one of the earliest political efforts to heighten the influence of labour in British Guiana was made by the Popular Party. “Building on the electoral success in 1921 of several local professional and businessmen, the Popular Party successfully fielded candidates friendly to the BGLU in elections in 1926. Reacting to this success, the regressive Crown Colony constitution of 1928 was imposed. It abolished the Court of Policy, and imposed the Legislative Council with the majority of its members nominated by the Governor,” Ramkarran said. He said that the effect of this studied innovation was to deliberately destroy the growing influence of the trade union movement, and noted that the Labour Party, formed to contest the 1947 elections, was labour “in name only” and made little impact.

According to Ramkarran, the major impact of the BGLU in political terms took place prior to 1953. He said that its formation led to an improvement in the lives of workers, “thereby demonstrating to them, the value of militancy and solidarity, its direct and indirect involvement in the political process, heightened political consciousness, notwithstanding the restricted franchise at that time.”

He noted that several trade unions were formed in this period, among them the TWU (Transport Workers Union). “The TWU, registered in 1938, had become by the mid 1940s one of the largest and most militant of the unions operating at that time. It played a crucial role in building the early PPP and the independence movement,” he said.

Ramkarran said that the Teare Strike in 1947, called to protest the suspension of two workers for trade union activity was one of the most influential in the colonial era and succeeded in its objective of removing Colonel Teare, the authoritarian British general manager, an unheard of concession at that time.

He said that the year before, 1946, the PAC (Political Affairs Committee) was formed, which was joined by many transport workers a few months after its formation.

“I believe the Teare Strike energised sugar workers into renewed struggle the following year, leading to the tragic loss of life at Enmore where the Martyrs sacrificed themselves, so that we could become free. We pay tribute to these martyrs, as well as to the many others, who made the maximum sacrifice for trade union and workers’ rights,” said Ramkarran.

“This month, we of the PPP, recognise Michael Forde and the Ballot Box Martyrs, in the struggle for democracy. I take this opportunity also, to pay tribute to the many outstanding leaders of that time, who with great skill and daring, outmaneuvered the allegedly more sophisticated rulers, and brought to notice the deep poverty among workers and the need for political reform,” he said.

Ramkarran singled out Frank Van Sertima – a stalwart – who came from a middle class background and graduated from Queen’s College, “whereupon he started work at Transport and Harbours Department.” Ramkarran said that he helped to found the TWU, served as its president, and became a progressive political thinker, “which was unusual in those days, especially for a person who emerged out of the white/coloured middle class.”

Ramkarran said that Van Sertima saw clearly the link between the labour and political struggles, and recognised early that workers can never be free, while British Guiana remained a colony and retained a system and relations of production which facilitated exploitation. “He inspired a substantial group of young transport workers to join the PAC and afterwards to the PPP, the then united independence movement. He was a friend of and mentor to many, including my father,” said Ramkarran of Van Sertima.

Ramkarran said that it was necessary to give the background in order to emphasize the necessity for statesmanship to “heal the rift” in the trade union movement. “I am happy to note that FITUG, representing the majority of organised workers in Guyana, has also taken the high road, and remains open to negotiations with the TUC to resolve differences,” he said.

He said that the labour movement formed the inspirational bedrock of the founders of the PAC and the PPP. “All of the four founding members of the PAC were or had become trade unionists. Jocelyn Hubbard and Ashton Chase were active trade unionists. Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan had both joined trade unions and were active members. It is no surprise therefore, that the interests of labour and the working class, formed the basic agenda of the 1953 PPP government,” said Ramkarran.