A small group from the All Trinidad General Workers Union (ATGWU) marched in the rain on Labour Day yesterday. The march began at 10 am at the Esperanza Recreation Ground where in 1934 800 sugar workers, including women, downed tools and rioted for work.
The ATGWU marched in intermittent rain through the streets of California, up the Old Southern Main Road to the union’s headquarters at Rienzi Complex, Couva.
“I was soaked at one point. I did not want to use an umbrella because other members of the union did not use umbrellas,” ATGWU president general Nirvan Maharaj said.
“The march was symbolic. Workers preferred to soak in the rain than give up the march. The ATGWU decided to celebrate Labour Day in Couva to pay respect and homage to those rioting workers in the sugar industry in 1934 who laid the foundation for the labour battles of 1937.”
Former sugar workers, who are still fighting for outstanding monies, as well as workers from the agricultural and fishing sectors were among those who participated in yesterday’s event.
It was the second time the ATGWU was celebrating Labour Day in central Trinidad. Last year, for the first time in T&T’s history, the union broke away from Labour Day celebrations in Fyzabad hosted by the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM), drawing criticisms from unions that participate in the event there.
Maharaj said the ATGWU did not invite politicians to their celebrations this year. They invited former prime minister in the last People’s Partnership administration, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, now Opposition Leader, to last year’s celebrations.
“They came and promised to settle ex-sugar workers’ issues. They ate, they drank and they left and the issues are still facing us,” he said. “We are not going to provide another opportunity for politicians to ride on sugar workers’ backs.”
Maharaj, in his address at a function at Rienzi Complex after the march, blamed Government, Opposition and business owners for the current plight of workers. He blamed the Government and Opposition for failing to come together to bring much needed labour reform.
“There is a need to amend the Retrenchment and Severance Benefit Act so no worker will ever be retrenched again without being paid, as was the case with the Arcelor Mittal workers,” he said.
Maharaj was also critical of management”at companies who chooses to uncompromisingly cut costs by reducing labour and retrenching workers rather than trimming wastage and accepting lower profits. He said the current PNM administration does not seem to have a clue on what steps to take to address the problems of workers who are being retrenched by the thousands. The country seems to be running on auto pilot and appears to be on the brink of collapse, he said.
The ATGWU honoured three former sugar workers who are now between the ages of 86 and 100. John Jaglal, first vice president and head of the Industrial Relations Department was also honoured for his years of loyalty and service to the union.
A commemorative plaque was dedicated to Adrian Cola Rienzi, founding father of the union. who led rioting sugar workers in the 1930s.