TODAY, June 16, marks 67 years since five sugar workers -– Rambarran, Lall a/k Pooran, Lallabagee, Surujbally and Harry — were killed by British colonial police. The five are revered as the “Enmore Martyrs”.In 1948, the Enmore Martyrs fought mainly for recognition of their union to better fight for them. It was a long and bitter struggle that ended just under three decades later in recognition of GAWU as the bargaining agent of sugar workers.
It must have come as a betrayal of the Enmore Martyrs that, under the Bharrat Jagdeo Presidency, the Guyana Sugar Corporation issued a threat to de-recognise GAWU. That was in 2010 when both Mr. Donald Ramotar (later to become President) and Dr. Nanda Gopaul, former Minister of Labour, were directors of the sugar corporation.
Today, it must also come as a betrayal of the Enmore Martyrs that the sugar industry is on the brink of bankruptcy after surviving slavery and indentureship, and the many years before and after our Independence as a nation.
The entire Guyanese nation was shocked to learn that the former Government, which portrayed itself as a defender of sugar workers, was leaving office with only one week’s pay in the coffers for sugar workers.
The previous Government must have known that the sugar industry was brought to a point of closure, but it never made that disclosure before the elections. Not only was it leaving the sugar industry penniless, but it also saddled the industry with enormous debts, running into tens of billions of dollars.
Had the Enmore Martyrs been alive today, tears would have flown from their eyes to know that a factory such as the so-called ‘White Elephant’ in Skeldon was processing less sugar per ton of cane than the antiquated factory in their time, even after $47 billion had been injected into the Skeldon Factory by the Governments of both President Jagdeo and President Ramotar. Thrice also Parliament had to offer “bail out” of sums in excess of $15 billion, yet the industry floundered.
No amount of crocodile tears would today hide the callous betrayal of sugar workers, and the destruction of the dreams of the Enmore Martyrs by the former Government. It must come as a welcome gesture that days after coming into office, the new Coalition Government announced that it was putting a rescue package for the sugar industry in place, and promised that even in challenging times, it will do all it can to save the jobs of the estimated 16,000 workers.
This will be no easy task, but President David Granger has assured, repeatedly, that saving jobs is a priority of his Government. Part of this exercise would require sacking the old politically-appointed directors, and doing a thorough investigation into where all the monies poured into the sugar industry have disappeared. We are appalled by the reaction of GAWU leaders that the sacking of the old guard, closely linked to the Opposition PPP, was “disturbing”. GAWU should cry for the workers, not mourn the departure of the “square pegs”.
It is time that sugar workers demand an end to the collusion between the Union bosses and political cronies. It is time that GAWU restore its image as an independent Union, or face the wrath of sugar workers, who must insist that the sacrifice of the Enmore Martyrs for a Union of their choice was not in vain.
While we remember the Enmore Martyrs, we are also reminded that June 13 marked the 35th Anniversary of the death of Dr. Walter Rodney, who was killed when a bomb detonated in his lap in down-town Georgetown.
Dr. Rodney was a political activist, and whilst efforts have been made to find out who was responsible for his death, we must recognise that his life was dedicated to the struggles of the working people. His death is a loss to their struggle for political democracy, and we salute his memory today.
All Guyanese ought to observe June with sober reflection that the re-birth of hope in Guyana came from struggle and sacrifice. We must salute our heroes, knowing that in their memory, Guyanese are now poised to realise their dream of a better life.