The American “Solidarity Forever” trade union battle song was meant to say it all: in unity there is working-class strength; strength to negotiate workers’ rights even though there should be no need to have to “bargain” for just rewards. “For the union makes us strong“, the song proclaims.
Though Guyana was not China or Cuba when Burnham and Bharrat were finished with Guyana’s labour “movement”, the bargaining agents were compliant and compromised, rendered toothless with some leaders reduced to taking vehicles and/or Board appointments mainly for their personal survival. (One union’s elections even once mirrored the mischief of past general elections; there seemed to be a President-for-life).
Over the years I’ve offered my layman’s perspective of trade unionism in Guyana.
