The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) is denouncing the second fire that has now completely destroyed its headquarters and education arm, Critchlow Labour College (CLC), calling the incident a deliberate and targeted act against the country’s independent labour movement.
The latest blaze, which erupted on July 31, follows a previous fire on March 22 this year. Both incidents are under suspicion, and the GTUC says it is still awaiting an official report on the cause of the first fire.
In a strongly worded statement issued Friday, the GTUC declared, “The destruction of GTUC and CLC is an act to destroy their existence.”
The organisation stated that the back-to-back fires are part of an effort to weaken and erase the symbols of strength and legacy the labour movement represents. “It is not lost on us in the GTUC and the CLC that the fire is a weapon being used to destroy our symbols of strength; our distinguished work in contributing to the development of Guyana; an exercise of greed and covetousness to deprive the Labour movement of its own assets,” the statement read.
The union acknowledged that some may see GTUC as “inimical to their interest,” but stressed that these actions go beyond politics or personal agendas.
“This attack for whatever reason is a blatant attack on the independent labour movement of Guyana, a historical and indigenous institution that has shaped the very foundation of Guyana’s development impacting every citizen, every worker, past, present and potential. It is an attack on freedom and progress,” the GTUC said.
Despite the destruction, the GTUC vowed that the fires will not silence or halt its work. “It will not stop the will of the people and will only commit the movement to be more resolute in fighting against all forces formed against them,” the union asserted.
GTUC further called on its affiliates to stand firm. “We must remain resilient. The destroyers of the building will not quell the passion of the affiliates of the GTUC to rise again and rebuild,” the statement urged.
Highlighting its historic role in Guyana’s development, the GTUC reminded the nation of the contributions made by prominent labour leaders such as Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, Cheddi Jagan, Forbes Burnham, Jane Phillips Gay, and Joseph Pollydore. “The steadfastness that resides in us is built off decades of successful struggles,” it noted.
The union also warned that the attack is not only against a building, but against the aspirations of many Guyanese. “This attack is also an attack on every Guyanese who needed and looked for a second opportunity as a means of their development. It is an attack on the bastion trade union movement in Guyana, our history and our culture,” the GTUC said.
It added that the GTUC stands not just for better wages and conditions of work, but for “good governance, rights and the rule of law, enactment of international human rights and labour standards.”
The CLC, the union noted, has served hundreds of thousands of Guyanese over its five-decade history—students from all ethnic backgrounds and all ten regions of Guyana—many of whom used their Critchlow education to enter institutions such as Cyril Potter College of Education and the University of Guyana.
“There is no trade unionist in Guyana today that can separate itself from the GTUC at some point of its existence,” the statement asserted.
The GTUC reminded the public that following the March 22 fire, President Irfaan Ali had publicly promised government support to help the GTUC rebuild. “GTUC holds President Ali accountable for his promises,” the statement said, while renewing the call for the Guyana Fire Department to release its report on the initial fire.
At the same time, the GTUC expressed thanks to the Fire Department and all those who assisted in containing the July 31 blaze and protecting surrounding properties.
The union concluded with a call to national awareness and solidarity: “Today we call on every citizen of Guyana to be awakened to the reality of what is happening to independent labour and what is happening to our country.”
