Georgetown: The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) joins with our peoples, local and Regional, in celebrating the 41st Anniversary of the Caribbean Community (Caricom).
Reaching this milestone has not been without challenges, setbacks and achievements, all of which the Region’s peoples must evaluate as we move forward. Caricom today stands on the shoulders of men and women who from the days of enslavement fought for the fundamental rights of equality, dignity and self-determination. Our forebears recognised the struggle for liberty and empowerment lies through forging ties built on the oneness of strength and purpose, which continues to serve the Region well.
In 1926 when labour leaders Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow and others met in Georgetown in the hallowed halls of the Legislature, they marked the first show in the early 20th century to make the aspirations of theirs and their forebears possible. These leaders committed, among other things, to chart a course for the Caribbean’s peoples; realise minimum wage legislation; forty-four hour week; old age pension; national health insurance and sickness benefits; federation; universal adult suffrage; free compulsory primary education; nationalisation; state ownership of public utilities; cooperative marketing of agriculture produce; workmen’s compensation; a standard eight-hour working day; the abolition of child labour; prison reform, peremptory challenge to jury; and the abolition of the Special Jury.
When the Caribbean Congress of Labour was founded in 1960, it worked with the Regional political establishment and civil society to make real the ground work laid by predecessors.
Another wave of leaders came in the 1940-70s and realised the West Indian Federation in 1958, though short lived (disbanded in 1962), it worked to make real the above mentioned. This was later followed in 1965 by the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) founded by Forbes Burnham (Guyana), Vere Bird (Antigua and Barbuda), Errol Barrow (Barbados) and Eric Williams (Trinidad and Tobago). Another milestone was achieved in 1973 by Forbes Burnham (Guyana), Errol Barrow (Barbados), Eric Williams (Trinidad) and Michael Manley (Jamaica), who were the Founding Fathers of Caricom.
Today, Caricom has within its fold 15 member states and five associate members. The peoples of the Region can also lay proud claim to the Caribbean Development Bank, the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) which includes free movement of skills, the decent work agenda, the Caricom Charter of Civil Society, the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre, Universal Education, the Caribbean Examination Council, to name a few.
The people of the Region have come a far way, but still has a far way to go. As we celebrate yet another milestone in the march for self-determination, equality and dignity, it becomes ever important that as we mark our achievements, we also address perceptions that Caricom is not serving its people, and the prevailing hopelessness among one of our most vulnerable group, the youth.
Our Regional governments must also re-commit to making real the dreams of their predecessors and the desires of the peoples they are elected to serve.
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