The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) marked the tragic death of five sugar workers 77 years ago. Writing in its Voice of Labour column on Sunday GTUC said the sacrifice of Lallabaggie, Dookie, Rambarran, Harry and Pooran, epitomised the struggle for a just society and the fundamental right to freedom of association.
“The struggle of sugar workers in 1948 was one that was in pursuit of creating a just society, which includes the right to self‑determination through joining a trade union of choice … that would see workers’ involvement … on matters that impact their wellbeing.”
The piece emphasises these freedoms are enshrined in “ILO conventions, United Nations Declarations and the Guyana Constitution.” This commemoration “should serve to deepen our resolve to boldly move forward in defense of the cause that led to their martyrdom,” states the union voice.
A proud victory came in 1976 when the GTUC succeeded in placing Enmore Martyrs Day on the national calendar. “Ours is now the responsibility to make sure that we preserve and build on the martyrs’ legacy,” the article declares, noting that the GTUC “laid wreaths … since 1976 through the initiative of the Guyana Trades Union Congress … and a responsive government under the leadership of Forbes Burnham.”
The federated body criticises the PPP government for excluding the GTUC from a memorial event it originally secured, stressing the historical record “must accurately reflect these facts.”
A monument commissioned in 1977—designed with input from Guyanese luminaries Dennis Williams and Stanley Greaves—stands as a solemn covenant to ensure “never again this nation shall experience the state turning its guns on us in our pursuit of influencing and creating better working and living conditions.”
The article challenges simplified narratives of the tragedy, which is sometimes dismissed as a “cut‑and‑load” dispute escalating to violence. The GTUC writes: this incident “was merely the straw that broke the camel’s back,” pointing out the deeper clash involved colonial exploitation and workers’ refusal to remain voiceless.
Highlighting the centrality of trade unions in Guyana’s political evolution, the story reflects that in 1948 “the trade union was the sole vanguard movement representing the masses’ desire for change in the political system …”
Long before the birth of mass political parties, unions led the charge for justice—a movement traced back to Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow in 1905. Indeed, the Enmore killings sparked the formation of the Political Affairs Committee in 1949 and, a year later, the People’s Progressive Party, Guyana’s first mass‑based political party.
The labor movement is credited with winning universal adult suffrage by 1953, independence in 1966, and republican status in 1970. The article asserts that Guyana’s official title—the Cooperative Republic of Guyana—should be used in all state documents.
Regrettably, the covenant was broken in later decades, with state violence during strikes: at John Fernandes Wharf in 1999 and in Linden in 2012, when police again turned their guns on workers.
GTUC also expressed believes that the Enmore legacy is also one of democratic inclusion and worker representation. It stresses the importance of “inclusionary democracy,” as enshrined in Article 13 of the Guyana Constitution, which calls for “increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens, and their organisations in the management and decision‑making processes of the State.”
Also referenced are Articles 149C and 38, reinforcing the formal and moral role of trade unions in nation‑building.
Concluding on a resolute note, the GTUC emphasises its unwavering presence: “Labour is here to stay!” It vows to “raise our voices and carry the torch for a just and fair society,” to “agitate, advocate … and hold public officials and employers accountable.”
The historic struggle, begun by Critchlow in 1905, is ongoing—and the labour movement remains essential to ensuring rights, deepening democracy, and safeguarding the gains of past struggles.
