THE 66th anniversary of the death of the five sugar workers, the Enmore Martyrs, was observed yesterday, with a rally that included the laying of wreaths at the Enmore Martyrs’ monument on the East Coast of Demerara.

President Donald Ramotar, at the Enmore Martyrs’ monument site, where he was the first to lay a wreath in honour of their memory

And the Head of State, Donald Ramotar, in delivering the evening’s feature address, stressed the need to keep the spirit of the Enmore Martyrs alive and to let it inspire the fight to remove all developmental obstacles – a move that will benefit not only workers, but Guyanese and the country as a whole.

On June 16, 1948, five sugar workers were shot by colonial police, while they were demonstrating for better working conditions.
Mr. Ramotar pointed out that the Enmore Martyrs fight was one of the turning points in Guyana’s history, as they not only fought for better working conditions, but for industrial democracy and for political independence and the right to self-determination.
“It (the Enmore Martyrs’ fight) brought together several strands of struggle that were occurring in our country…it brought together an economic struggle. At the same time it developed into a struggle for industrial democracy, to recognise and a have a union of the workers’ choice, and developed into the call for political independence for Guyana,” he said.
According to him, the situation in Guyana at that time was “very oppressive” when one looked at the provisions for housing, education and health – all of which were provided based on the discretion of plantation owners.
“Today much has changed, but still much has stayed the same,” the President said.
He explained that “domination” still continues, as it did in the early 90’s, but in a different form. “Domination continues in the form of global governance…the rich and powerful countries of the world are still using their power and Third World developing countries have to deal with standing on unequal footing,” Mr. Ramotar said.
However, he made clear his administration’s commitment to advancing developments in the interest of the Guyanese people.
“True we are still a developing country in an unequal world, but it is in this context that we must judge how far we have come,” the President said.
The Head of State added that looking at the developments that have been attained over the years, one can point to the direct benefits, in terms of wages and other monetary remunerations, as well as indirect benefits that sugar workers and workers across the country can take advantage of.
Relative to the latter he pointed to free education and health care, a massive housing programme and delivery of efficient water supply to all Guyanese.

RESTRUCTURING THE INDUSTRY
Mr. Ramotar expressed his hope that 2014 will be the year of the sugar industry’s turn-around, which will result in more benefits for sugar workers and, by extension, all Guyanese workers.
However, he underscored the need to restructure the industry for this to become a realisation.
“There is still a long way to go…by saving the industry and bringing it back to vitality, it is the most important service we can do for the working class…we cannot survive without restructuring the industry,” he said.
The President underscored the challenges facing the sector as it moves towards restructuring to ensure that sugar continues as a viable economic undertaking in the country, particularly the challenges of climate change and labour shortage.
Mr. Ramotar explained that as a result of climate change, weather patterns have changed and are affecting the industry’s output; for example when the industry was used to 120 opportunity days, workers now have to make do with 80 or less days.
Relative to the labour issue, he referenced the moves to mechanisation and the ongoing collaboration with private cane farmers.
Additionally, a $6B allocation, in the 2014 Budget, for GuySuCo was approved by the National Assembly. The $6B is expected to cover expenditures that include mechanisation, through the conversion of 2,500 hectares of land to be suitable for mechanical operations, which will be done at a cost of $1.1B; tillage and replanting of 9,200 hectares, both efforts being consistent with improving cane production and yield, which will be done at a cost $1B; factory upgrading of all sugar estates, including Skeldon, at a cost of $2B; and works to field infrastructure to improve field to factory access and purchasing of equipment, excavators, bell loaders, tractors, etc. to account for the remainder of the allocation.
“We have issues to deal with, but even so we have come a far way,” the President said, adding that the inability of the political Opposition to “put country before party” is stymieing development in Guyana.
On this note, he reiterated his appeal for the memory of the Enmore Martyrs to be an inspiration for all Guyanese people.
Early on the morning of the fateful June 16, 1948, a crowd of about 400 workers gathered outside the factory at Enmore for a protest and picketing exercise. By 10:00hrs, the crowd had grown to between 500 and 600 persons. Several persons managed to enter the compound at the rear of the factory. The policemen tried to push back the crowd, but after this effort failed, they opened fire. Five workers were killed and 14 others were injured. Lallabagee Kissoon, 30, was shot in the back; 19-year-old Pooran was shot in the leg and pelvis; Rambarran died from bullet wounds in his leg; Dookhie died in hospital later that day; and Harry died the following day from severe spinal injuries. These men, through the years, became known as the Enmore Martyrs.
In April 1948, cane cutters in British Guiana went on strike, calling for the replacement of “cut and load” with a “cut and drop” system, by which the cane cutters should cut the cane. They also demanded higher wages and improved living conditions on the sugar estates. However, the real aim of the strike was to demand recognition of the Guyana Industrial Workers Union (GIWU) as the bargaining union for the field and factory workers on all the sugar estates in the country. On June 16, the Sugar Producers Association (SPA) and the Man Power Citizens Association (MPCA) met to discuss the issues, but no satisfactory agreement was reached; in any case, the workers felt very strongly that the union was betraying their interests. It was this that led to the protest action on June 16, 1948.
Written By Vanessa Narine

A section of the hundreds who turned out in remembrance of the fallen sugar workers, the Enmore Martyrs.

extracted from the Guyana Chronicle