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GAWU commissions $110M labour college
The $110M GAWU Labour College, which was commissioned on Wednesday.
Nine years after fire destroyed its Regent Street headquarters, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) on Wednesday commissioned a brand new, $110M labour college that will ambitiously also offer diplomas and other accredited classes.
The new facility, located behind GAWU’s office in Wights Lane, Kingston, has two classrooms, dormitories for 35 students, a library and a recreation room.
In addition to classes in Trade Unionism, there will also be forums for Industrial Relations and Labour Law, attracting students from all sectors of GAWU’s bargaining units including from sugar, fisheries, rice, alcohol beverages, the Berbice River Bridge, the Demerara Harbour Bridge and forestry.
Addressing the invitees, who included Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, several Government Ministers and trade unionists, Principal of the GAWU Labour College, Navin Chandarpal, disclosed that GAWU raised the money from its own coffers. The union, which represents the largest block of workers drawn mainly from the sugar industry, started the education classes in 1976, but the post-elections fire of 2001 saw the Regent Street office destroyed, putting a halt to the programs.
President of GAWU, Komal Chand, noting the college opening as a realization of a cherished dream, was confident that the facility was a solid investment to promote “working class education.”
Acknowledging the troubling times, Chand believed that it nevertheless served as a valuable lesson that must be learned.
“Workers, in such a time, need to be on extra alert. A new breed of robber barons has emerged today. Ruling circles which serve them are feverishly engaged, along with their apologists and handmaidens, in taking measures to defend, protect and preserve the old order.”
Against this background, workers must organize, be educated and unify to defend their interests.
Our college has much to do. In any perspective, the facility will be for the use of our members but, hopefully, it may also serve other sections of our working class as well as other sections of our population.”
But, Chand warned, there is a crying need for more to be done with increased resources to be devoted. He called for government to be more active, in a major way, in educating workers.
This could be done either through grants to union or other responsible organizations.
Wednesday’s launching was also done to coincide with the birth anniversary of former Honorary President of GAWU and former President of Guyana, Dr. Cheddi Jagan.
Also speaking at the opening was Dr. Ana Teresa Romero, Director of the International Subregional Office of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Romero promised help for the college and urged the management to tap into the local and international agencies to expand its role. The ILO is currently working with Guyana to introduce a “Decent Work” program, which will target job creation, protection and social dialogue.
Minister of Labour, Manzoor Nadir, lauded the GAWU management for its hard work in re-opening of the classes.
Stressing the current administration is committed to protection of the workers, Nadir pointed out that the laws were amended to offer more protection. He urged unions to further expand their membership since government currently represents about 80 per cent of workers.
Also addressing the forum were Minister of Education, Shaik Baksh, and long time trade unionist, Ashton Chase, who gave a history of the trade union colleges in Guyana.
Baksh echoed Romero’s promise for help to the labour college and urged the moves be made to beef up the facilities’ library. He also called for skills building by the possible introduction of IT classes.
Prime Minister Hinds was tasked with cutting the ceremonial ribbon to declare the facility open.
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