Latest update May 22nd, 2026 12:38 AM
Sugar workers need to abandon GAWU
GAWU, the sugar union came into being as a legal entity because the Forbes Burnham Government recognized it as the true bargaining unit in the sugar industry. This was one of Forbes Burnham’s golden moments of generosity that all Guyanese, particularly sugar workers, should not forget.
I will never be a fan of Mr. Burnham but it is historical nastiness on the part of any academic to deny positive spots on his balance-sheet. In recognizing GAWU, Burnham knew he was virtually creating a tower of strength against his government. But he went ahead nevertheless.
GAWU was the PPP and the PPP was GAWU. In giving legal recognition to GAWU, Burnham knew he was opening a bank vault for the PPP. The dues of GAWU would be enormous because you were talking about 35,000 employees. But Burnham went ahead nevertheless.
Look at how the PPP Government has turned out since 1992.
The PPP has called the PNC Government all the dirty names in the world but today as we see a fascist model of government that has crept up on us Burnham appears in the historical pages to have been a better leader, more learned, urbane, cultured, sensitive, caring, patriotic than anything the PPP or GAWU has produced.
Sad as that may sound the facts bear the evaluation out. Can you see any PPP leader as head of government giving recognition to a union that is not a supporter of the PPP Government? Can you see any PPP Government in 2010 doing what President Burnham did when he accorded due recognition to GAWU?
For thousands of us who thought Burnham was evil, we have lived to see real evil in Guyana as we live with it since Cheddi Jagan died. Look at the bestial, fascist mistreatment of bauxite workers at the moment. This Government has water downed the Trade Union Recognition Act to break the back of the TUC.
This government has been subtly trying to get Republic Bank to have NAACIE and GAWU unionize its employees. This is against the fact that the Bank’s employees have never been asked which union it would like to have.
This Government is in league with NAACIE to displace bauxite workers at RUSAL.
To date, GAWU has not issued one word of support for those bauxite workers. As the stalemate drags on, it is hoped that American and European unions request their workers not to load or unload products leaving for Guyana or coming to Guyana. It is time the struggle against elected dictatorship intensifies in this country.
From Wednesday, UG students go on protest. It is hoped that other stakeholders emulate these young minds. This is a broken nation repressed by an elected dictatorship that has now incorporated in to its exercise of power features of fascism. Anyway, back to GAWU.
Today, GAWU is one of the world’s richest unions (thanks to Forbes Burnham) and by a long way, the wealthiest trade union in the Caribbean and South America.
No union can pay that kind of money GAWU used to buy that expensive real estate in Kingston that has become its head office.
It has just opened a labour office that it boasted cost the organization about $150M. Sugar workers today are not like those in the sixties. Their children attend universities and have become educated people. They should tell their parents about the hypocrisy of GAWU leaders.
These are the very leaders that have participated in the destruction of Guyana since the PPP came to power in 1992.
GAWU sat on the board of GUYSUCO since 1992 where it participated in Guysuco’s incestuous politics.
Can you blame the Government’s failure for Guysuco’s collapse without culpability on GAWU’s part? Where was GAWU’s voice since 1992? I will tell. Komal Chand has been on the board of GWI a long time now and under that very board with the tyrannical Karran Singh as CEO, lots of workers, a majority of whom are of a particular ethnic make-up, were fired without just cause.
This writer approached Mr. Komal Chand on the dismissal of a worker who had given 35 years service. With a calm tone, Mr. Chand told me, “I don’t want to speak to you.” So we now have the ever-silent Navin Chandarpal heading the new GAWU Labour College.
Where was Chandarpal all the time? I’ll tell you. I met him at a function at the Georgetown Club and told him that his Government was destroying UG. He walked away while I was speaking to him. Rise up sugar workers and dump your leaders!
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