The beginnings of Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) can be traced back to 1946 when the British Guiana Industrial Workers Union (GIWU) was founded. The Union played a large role in a strike in 1948 by workers on a number of estates in the East Coast of Demerara. The workers were protesting against the cut and load system, they were calling for the recognition of the GIWU, and for improvement of their wages and living and working conditions. Dr Cheddi Jagan also gave his wholehearted support to the strike. He addressed striking workers, he assisted in distributing literature and his wife, Janet Jagan, helped to organize soup kitchens for the strikers and their families. That strike ended soon after the shooting of the Enmore Martyrs on June 16, 1948.
The GIWU no doubt, affected by the incident and later the split at the political level in the PPP, saw a lull in the activities of the Union.
It was resurrected as the Guyana Sugar Workers Union in 1961 and in 1962 was renamed the Guiana Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU). GAWU intensified its militant struggle for recognition in the early 60’s. The sugar planters did not want to let go of the Company Union – MPCA – and to recognize the militant GAWU. There were many strikes and incidents that occurred for GAWU’s recognition in the 1960’s. One notable incident was the demise of Kowsilla who was killed by a scab driven tractor at Leonora on March 06, 1964.
The sugar planters inspite of GAWU’s strength so often demonstrated by overwhelming support around the Union’s strike call, continued resisting to have a poll to determine GAWU’s bid for recognition. The planters at one time proposed that GAWU be recognized for field workers and that the factory workers remained in the MPCA.
GAWU maintained its demand for recognition of the field and factory workers since they constitute one bargaining unit and pressed on with its struggle. Added to GAWU’s struggle over the years, was for the nationalization of the sugar industry. Both the recognition of the Union and the nationalization of the industry finally took place in 1976. GAWU succeeded at last in having a poll that was conducted on December 31, 1975 resulting in GAWU receiving 98% of the votes cast. The result vindicated that GAWU’s claim indeed that it had the overwhelming support of the industry’s workers.
Of course the poll did not receive the voluntary support of the sugar planters. It was as a result of consistent and intensified struggle by GAWU, notably two major strikes in the first and second crops in 1975 severely affected sugar production. Dr Jagan as Honorary President of GAWU, recognized during the strike in the first crop of that year that the sugar workers would not be able to sustain the strike during the entire crop, in the leadership he proposed the adjournment of the strike and the resumption of industrial action during the second crop. It was an innovation to have the strike adjourned to another date. All together the workers struck for 13 weeks in the two (2) crops which was the final straw that broke the camel back and paved the way for the poll to be held on December 31, 1975.
Another factor which influenced the holding of the poll was the political situation in the country. There was a threat of destablisation of the country. The PPP offered critical support. There were ongoing discussions between the then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham and the Leader of the Opposition Dr Cheddi Hagan and in this context the poll took place.
It is interesting to note that some months after GAWU’s recognition in its effort to end the infamous Sugar Levy by industrial action from August, 1977 to January, 1978, saw the hiring of scabs, the deployment of the disciplined forces, the House of Israel cult, members of the Public Services, undoubtedly at the instance of their union, all engaged in the harvesting of canes to break the GAWU strike.
Later in another struggle by GAWU over the award of certain levels of Annual Production Incentive, the then Government in 1988 suspended the Union’s recognition Agreement and there was no interaction by Guysuco with the Union for a short period. It was the strong support of the Union and the militancy of the workers that forced Guysuco to restore the Union’s status.
Over the years after its first recognition in 1976, GAWU grew numerically representing workers in several other important spheres of the economy including Distillery, Fishing, Forestry, Rice. At the Union’s 8th Biennial Congress in 1978, to facilitate its expansion the Union’s name was changed to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU).
GAWU discharges its responsibilities to effectively represent its members. It actively involves the elected shop stewards of the workers in every negotiations with the various employers. The Union operates a Credit Union, which over the years, has grown in strength and never failed to convene its Annual General Meetings and share yearly surpluses to members. GAWU continues to maintain the yearly auditing of its accounts by the Auditor General. Already for 2008, the Auditor General has completed the Audit.
The Union has a College with dormitory facilities for 35 persons at High Street, Kingston, after the destruction during the 2001 post elections disturbances. The School will be used to impart labour education to as many as possible of the Union’s large membership. GAWU, unlike many unions, steadfastly observes its rules and holds it’s Triennial Delegates’ Congresses where among other things, an account of its stewardship over the previous years is given and a General Council elected from which the Union’s leadership is derived.
At the international level our Union is affiliated to the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) which has a membership of millions in 130 countries and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers Association (IUF) which represents 336 organisations in 120 countries comprising of some 12 million workers Locally the Union is an affiliate of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG). The Unions affiliated to FITUG are organized in many strategic sectors of the country’s economy and they represent approximately 35,000 workers.