Paying tribute to the Enmore Martyrs, as we are doing at this time, holds a special place in the yearly calendar of events of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU). Sugar workers, Rambarran, Lall known as Pooran, Lallabagee Kissoon, Surujballi and Harry were cut down mercilessly by the Colonial State’s agents in a struggle to improve their working conditions and better their lives. They are interred here at Le Repentir Cemetery and this site is now an enduring monument and another reminder of colonial repression of those who stood up against injustices and to bring some relief to their exploitation by the foreign owners of the plantations.
As we well know this history making struggle took place sixty (69) years ago. The Enmore Martyrs was another major landmark in a list of several major struggles in the sugar industry whose workers were violently suppressed namely in 1872, 1879, 1903, 1912, 1913, 1924, and 1930. Such is the sordid history of foreign colonial ownership in the industry whose primary concern was profits made by the labourers who lived a life of misery and had to face mercilessly brutality in their many-sided struggles.
Though the Enmore workers were specific, it cannot be delinked from the workers need for deep-seated changes to their abominable working conditions, their poor wages, their cramped inhuman living quarters, and the miserable environmental conditions that were then prevalent in those days.
Comrades, the brutal killing of the Enmore Martyrs stirred indignation among many patriotic Guyanese. As we know, the incident inspired young Cheddi Jagan and others to form the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) out of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) which was established in 1946. Dr Jagan himself who was deeply moved by the massacre that took place pledged that he would dedicate his entire life to the cause of the struggle of the Guyanese people against bondage and exploitation. The PPP, has never wavered to observe the 1948 incident. It was in the mid-70’s that the then Government included the Enmore Martyrs observances as a state event. Such a decision was long overdue and was most welcome.
Comrades, we mark with deep reverence the Enmore Martyrs and that significant workers’ struggle so that we be ever reminded that every achievement was the result of workers struggles and have not come from charitable offerings by the foreign owners. Indeed, the days of the rule of the plantocracy are gone but our vigilance must remain as new challenges and threats are today before us.
Comrades as we pay tribute to the Martyrs we cannot fail to reflect on the sugar industry and the anxieties and despair that hover over the heads of workers throughout the sugar belt. It is disheartening for us in spite of the very good prospects for the industry’s viability, to see the Administration stubbornly pressing ahead, disregarding the dire consequences, with its plans to minimize the industry. While various officials of the Executive are telling us that “Sugar is too big to fail” and that the “industry will never die” we see their actions not matching their utterances. The sad and disturbing reality, at this time, is that the Government seems intent on pushing thousands of ordinary, hardworking, decent Guyanese into a life of desperation and, possibly, depravity.
The Government’s and GuySuCo’s plans, in our view, promise to be hazardous to the workers and we of GAWU repeat that they should not go ahead with the anti-workers designs more so since no reasonable alternatives are forthcoming. The cutting down of the industry through estate closures and sell-out is not the direction that our country should be pursuing. This is a path that will lead to greater hardships for our people and country.
It is clear that this path, will put thousands of workers on the breadline with no workable alleviation measures in place even which the IMF recently said should be done. The fact that this has not been done casts doubts on the sincerity of the Administration spokespersons where they claim that they have the workers and others linked to the industry interests at heart.
GAWU holds the view that the industry can be turned around and be made viable and sustainable. We feel that the industry has real possibilities to come out of its present difficulties. To do so, we are convinced that it will take– the present workforce, a capable management and well-considered innovative measures. With those factors on hand Government support will be required for a period only as the industry steadily begins to turnaround and reach a viable state.
Comrades, at this time, the plight that has befallen many of our colleague workers and their families with the closure of Wales Estate should be recalled. We are sure that those who go heartlessly brought untold hardships to their lives will not be forgotten or forgiven now or in history. Comrades, the sugar industry and its workforce have a pivotal place in our country’s economic life. We urge the authorities not to disregard this. We urge them not to continue letting down the working people.
As we face new challenges today, new workers struggles are taking place. It is fitting, therefore, in such circumstances to reflect on and draw inspiration from the 1948 Enmore workers struggles.
Long live the Enmore Martyrs!
Long live the Working Class!
The struggle continues!
