This year the Guyana Trades Union Congress commemorated May Day under the theme “Building a strong progressive union to respond to the challenges.” It requires unity of purpose, strong men and women with resilience. All workers of Guyana must be representative of that resilience, which is that force often referred to as people’s power. A united people driven by common purpose and steadfastness can move with tectonic force and cause enemies to withdraw, and evil plans to fail. A united people driven by common purpose can cause walls to crumble.
We must stay united, we must have that indomitable will of stick-to-it-ive-ness, do not doubt your strength nor ability when you stand together as one mighty force. It’s that force which this oppressive regime fears and over the years using every means necessary, they have sought to undermine, dismantle and destroy.
The state has become the enemy of the people which requires that we mobilise and unify against this common enemy. And even as we do so let us recognise that not everyone in your fold has the common interest at heart. There are enemies within as much as they are enemies without, and we must keep a watchful eye. For those within can be equally or more dangerous because you don’t know them, and they are identified as friends amongst us.
Quite recently we had the scenario where many persons of a particular political party who were thought to share views or supportive of their party’s struggle were either exposed as rivals of another political party. It is not to say that people are not entitled to freedom of association but when they hide under cover, serving two masters at the same time, then the issue is not about freedom of association, which is their right, but their trustworthiness and the dangers they could have caused others in their games of deceit.
When freedom of association is clothed in deceit it becomes dangerous, and clearly becomes an issue of concern. This political party is not unique in this regard and the truth is dealing with the enemy within is an important consideration and they can sabotage your progress as seen with some protests in Guyana, most visible since 1992. One must ignore those within the structure that create more harm than good.
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) regime, in particular, the Ali/Jagdeo regime is walking the evil pathway of the Jagdeo -led administration where workers, ordinary citizens and those who dare to publicly associate with organisations they consider enemy, are among its targets for oppression, marginalisation and denial of economic and social equity and justice; denial of a living wage, better conditions of work and protection of rights in oil rich Guyana. The knees of the evil ones are constantly seeking our necks, to cut off our life force, and doing so sometimes with those we consider friends. Some are supportive of this evil out of want, need and greed.
They fool us into believing that the only mass group that matters is the political parties, when the trade union predates them. Political parties fight for power. Trade unions use power to fight for the people to have better working conditions and quality of life.
Accepting their tomfoolery will limit your efforts at resistance knowing fully well that workers in themselves are a weapon for equal rights, justice and fair play that they fear. We are a threat, not because we are anti government but because we are pro worker.
Many political parties and leaders claim working class status and that they are friends of workers when in opposition and forget their allegiance when in government. The PPP under Jagdeo and Ali has lost the working class appeal and has become enemies of the working class , both outside of their control, for those they control are mere pawns in their political sphere. This should come as no surprise given Jagdeo’s track record. Let us reject being pawns.
A united and strong Labour Movement is as necessary as any political party to keep the Ali/Jagdeo regime and any other government in check and they know this. Both sides know this. Workers must know this and when we know this we must get involved and mobilise our colleagues in our various workplaces and other places of work to do likewise. We must all become engaged and re-engaged in this struggle for political, economic and social justice. The strength of the working-class struggle is the strength of the people. Let’s unite!
