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Labour week kicks off today with a wreath laying ceremony this afternoon in the Parliament Buildings Compound at the statue of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, National Hero and Father of Trade Unionism in the British Empire.
There is no Guyanese today holding high office that does not owe such elevation to the workers’ struggle for equality. No Guyanese today owning business, is an employer or manager, can say his or her achievement has not come without the struggle of the working class. Almost all of this nation’s people are from the groups once considered inferior to the Europeans, were treated lesser than and had to fight for their respect and dignity. This fight remains relevant though the actors may have changed.
In 1905, the young 21-year-old Critchlow, a waterfront worker, began organising workers to rally together and change the conditions of their work and social environment. 14 years later, at the age of 35, he saw the fruition of the trade union being recognised as a legal entity via the Trade Unions Ordinance (1919). The trade union was the forerunner mass-based organisation in society; it came before the political parties- PPP (1950) and PNC (1957)-were birthed.
Critchlow, a blue-collar worker, did not attain formal education beyond Fourth Standard, today referred to as Grade Six. He attained, however, the competencies in the world of life and in his working environment where he commanded the respect and attention of the Governor and other high offices in advancing the welfare of the working class. That he set the trajectory of this nation on a progressive path says much as to what manner of man he was and his level of intelligence.
In 1926, when Critchlow and fellow Caribbean Labour Leaders were blazing the trail, considered disruptors by making the status quo uncomfortable, Cheddie Jagan and Forbes Burnham were mere boy and toddler, eight and three-year-old, respectively. His was a vision to create a society where the workers and citizens (the masses) would be rulers of their destiny, treating each other with dignity and respect.
Said year these leaders held a Conference in Georgetown where the regional groundwork for our social, economic, civil, political and cultural self-determination took shape. That self-determination includes paid sick and vacation leave, public education and health care, stipulated workdays and time, beyond which overtime must be paid, housing, universal adult suffrage (one man one vote), political representation, among others.
Critchlow operated in an era where the struggle to dismantle perceptions and treatment of inferiority and inequality was valiantly and unapologetically waged by the workers. It was organised labour that set-in train the struggle for the attainment of universal adult suffrage (one man one vote), later given fillip by the political forces. The attainment of this in 1953 changed the conditionality of privilege that was associated with voting.
Now every eligible Guyanese citizen 18 years and above is allowed to have a say, through vote, in the government of their country. The right to vote and the power it gives to you, the citizens, must never be underrated for it is your most potent weapon, your most valuable action that can determine your future, the leadership that you have a right to choose, and the foundation that would determine your life and that of your family. Millions have died for this right and millions continue to.
Today workers must take a stand in ensuring the right to vote is held sacrosanct. We must ensure the credibility of the upcoming local government elections and be vigilant against those engaging in shenanigans to undermine the right to vote; the guarantee and presentation of credible constituency list; free and credible elections; elections free from fair and declaration of results that accurately represent the true will of the people.
This week as we take time to reflect on the work of this giant all should be proud of him. What Critchlow made possible for us some have forgotten, some have taken for granted, or forces are at work to dismantle or deny his accomplishments but we must tell of his works, ensure these are not overlooked, denied or underestimated. Critchlow legacy spreads far and wide and continues to impact the life of every citizen. He should be honoured because we are who we are thanks to him. This is why as workers we fight and must continue to fight because we have the baton to carry on.
Happy Labour Week!
