THE OWTU AND GEORGE WEEKES I KNEW: MEMOIRS OF A BLUE SHIRT SOLDIER PART TWO
by Ashton Harrilal
Post date: Aug 09, 2021 4:2:19 PM
The year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of George Weekes, the trade unionist who, probably, did the most to uplift the material conditions of workers, oilworkers in particular.
He gave them confidence that they were entitled to the benefits of modern civilisation and made it an article of faith that the working class must and will hold the reins of power.
To mark this important milestone and to re-introduce George Weekes to a new generation of working people, we will publish and re-publish a series of articles over the upcoming months exploring the man in the context of his time and the historical legacy he has left.
We publish Part Two of a three part article by Ashton Harrilal, a retired electrical supervisor at the then T&TEC, now Powergen Penal Power Station. He was the OWTU Branch Secretary and Monthly Paid Shop Steward for the OWTU T&TEC Penal Branch and served on the OWTU General Council for many years. Part one can be accessed here.
PG George Weekes’ vision was to carry the Union into a new dimension through an Education Drive to bring Branch Officers, Shop Stewards and the general workers to a new education level. Very early I saw a Leader in PG who was never insecure. Because of him I learned that academics does not make you brilliant but having a vision and bringing about change for the future was more valuable than a degree in most cases.
He was a natural leader and result oriented. As any good leader he embraced and empowered many youthful workers. His vision to introduce "a new perspective” led to the employment of the likes of Teddy Belgrave, David Abdulah, Gerry Kangalee, and Sister Donna Coombs as the Librarian.
THE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH COUNCIL (E&RC)
Under PG Weekes’ leadership the Education and Research Council came about. The Vanguard Newspaper was revamped. The Vanguard newspapers reached out to all work places and workers were ushered into a new information age. The Conference of Shop Stewards and Branch Officers (COSSABO), where Branch Officers and Shop Stewards would engage in Trade Union and political education, was introduced. Working Class consciousness was heightened.
Bright vibrant young men came to the fore like Cecil Paul, Sylvester Ramquar, Sylvan Wilson, Alva Allen, Man Man Edward, Frank Sears (Mr. Safety), as did many others who were eager to learn and contribute to the Union. All this was possible under the astute leadership of PG Weekes.
Comrades Sylvan Wilson and Sylvester Ramquar were our experts on Pension Plan. They were bestowed the title of our “Actuaries.” There was this quiet young Comrade, Glen Ramjag, from the National Food Crop Farmers Association (NFFA) who was part of our team.
Sylvan Wilson
Sylvester Ramquar
Frank Sears: Mr. Safety
In October 1975 PG Weekes invited Brother Basdeo Panday’s led Sugar Workers Union Officers to join us in a 5-day education programme held at Palm’s Club. That exemplifies the leadership of PG Weekes in assisting other groups of workers’ education. Many lecturers were involved at the seminar. Brother James Millette’s lecture was on “Imperialism Past and Present”.
At that time, according to Teddy Belgrave, “In a practical way the members of OWTU are more familiar with the system of Imperialism which dominated our national life, perhaps more than any other single group of people.” As young Officers we felt empowered and free to excel under PG Weekes leadership. Some of us bonded very closely and forged everlasting relationships.
Comrade Weekes exposed us to lecturers from far and wide. Lennox Pierre would come and converse with us at the Education and Research Council. Lennox Pierre and Allan Alexander were a tag team for us. James Millette was also a known figure at Paramount Building. A.N.R Robinson would frequent OWTU and address our Annual Conference. Reverend Knolly Clarke was a regular participant at most Union events.
Some folks “rode on the backs” of OWTU to gain national/international recognition to serve their self interest in politics and other vocations. You see, P G Weekes, the giant rebel, was a kind man who saw the good in mankind generally and embraced people and assisted them to grow from the OWTU platform. C L R James had a profound impact on OWTU officers and members of that era. I would want to think that he also had a strong influence on P G Weekes’ political and working class ideological position.
The vision of PG Weekes was not only for Industrial workers. I remember him inviting Professor George Moon Sammy, to lecture to us on food and agriculture. Dr. George Moon Sammy was very approachable, a simple and well liked man. Dr. Moon Sammy would eventually join the ULF movement. I don’t know if it was through his influence in food production that we invested in an Agriculture Estate. For whatever reason that eventually did not “bear fruit”.
Young Caribbean minds were invited by PG Weekes to our Annual Conference of Delegates and other Union events. We would get to know Maurice Bishop, Walter Rodney and many others. PG would invite the likes of Cheddi Jagan and other known Caribbean figures to our Central Office and some to the Annual Conference of Delegates. PG Weekes would have the young and vibrant economist Dr. Trevor Farrell as feature speaker at our Annual Conference and other union events.
SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE
Safety in the work place was advanced to new levels. Comrade Frank Sears did a lot of work in that area. When I joined T&TEC in late 1969, coveralls for Supervisors. Safety Shoes and Safety Helmets were the only PPE’s. Safety Committees were set up at various branches. Eventually PPE’s were expanded. Imagine for many years at Penal and Port of Spain Power Stations, masons would insulate the Steam Turbines, Boilers and steam pipe lines with fiberglass. Workers would mix the deadly stuff without any breathing apparatus or eye protection. How many workers may have died unknowingly from lung cancer and other ailments. When Powergen took over the Generation Plants of T&TEC they hired a foreign contractor to remove all the asbestos from the plant and buried same in concrete pits.
PARAMOUNT BUILDING
We were free to stay at Paramount Building any day; any time of the week. As members of the E&RC we spent long hours during the week and weekends, sometimes late into the night at Paramount Building. At times we would realize that PG was in his Office late at nights too doing his stuff. He would just pass by and say something briefly to us. He allowed us to “do our thing” without micro managing us.
I know Ian Teddy Belgrave head of the E&RC would report to PG Weekes on the work and progress of the E&RC…well almost most of the work!During the State Of Emergency of 1970 the state machinery was terrorising members. They would ransack our Paramount Building offices looking for God knows what; even firing shots at the building. Comrade Doodnath Maharaj escaped being shot in the building.
It was a privilege to be the recipient of the Little Red Book by Mao Tse-Tung. Not many will know the history of those books (that were buried in barrels). We also had a fiery group within the group with other agendas into which I will not go in detail. PG Weekes was aware of “most" of those activities. I must say that apart from my technical and workplace knowledge, I obtained a broader education and experience at Paramount Building, “the Working Class University”, under the unmatched “Chancellor” George Henry Hilton Weekes.
Later on, those experiences would also help me and others in addressing our challenges at Powergen with new foreign Managers in Henry Coolidge and David Robb with their foreign agendas. Errol McLeod was President General at that time. We had many meeting at all levels on the privatisation of T&TEC Power Stations. We had a meeting with the then Independent Senators whose conversation with us was seemingly supportive of us. Eventually it didn’t go that way.
At an early general meeting with them at our Penal Power station, I recalled telling the Powergen’s first General Manager Henry Coolidge that your plan to remodel the work programs is one thing but to infringe and try to influence change in our national culture will not be tolerated. He was spellbound for a moment. After the meeting he engaged me in conversation on my statement. After explaining my position on the matter he said he was glad I drew that to his attention. They never thereafter tried those tactics. I am saying here that my experiences and knowledge gained in OWTU was evident in dealing with broader issues.
FORMATION OF THE ULF FEBRUARY 18TH 1975
PG Weekes was very active in the formation of the United Labour Front (ULF) and most of us union activists were working long hours to see this organization grow. We thought that was the moment in time when Labour would hold the reins of Power. The inauguration of the ULF was held at Skinner Park, San Fernando on 18th February 1975. It was the biggest assembly of people I have been a part of.
The working class, the unemployed, students, lecturers, and so much more. It was like a rehearsal of the people coming together during the Black Power marches in 1970. Skinner Park was filled to capacity. The feeling was like Charlotteville to Cedros coming together to form our political party. Vendors had a field day selling out their eats, light drinks and so on. Oil, Sugar, Electricity, Transport, Cane Farmers, factory workers and so many other groups from throughout the country gathered. Speakers after speakers: the crowd politically energised and in high gear. We were like sharks when they smell blood in the ocean.
BLOODY TUESDAY MARCH 18TH 1975
Who from that era can forget Bloody Tuesday? The march for “Peace, Bread and Justice.” The plan was to march from Paramount Building thru San Fernando and then to Port of Spain. So much has been written and spoken about the issue thereafter that I would just mention the events that took place at our work place. The day before the march Monday, 17th March 1975, our branch officers held an after work meeting to discuss the next day march for “Peace, Bread and Justice.”.
We were on top of what the march was all about. We knew it would not be smooth sailing. In our situation it was either our Branch President Sankersingh or myself as Branch Secretary who would go to the march. One of us had to stay on the workplace for reasons that we discussed. Some workers would go to the march also. It was decided that our branch president would go to the march and I would stay on the workplace. I tried to build a case for me to go to the march, but the decision was taken otherwise.
We strongly suspected that there would be confrontation by the state’s armed forces on the day of the march. Now, the plan was if anything should happen in terms of assaulting /arresting our leaders, I would inform the workers and we would walk out the workplace in protest. As any union officer would know, whoever calls on the workers to “take industrial action” in an essential service is liable to face serious consequences. I was in that situation. So said so done!
After we heard of the bloody assault and arrest of our leaders, immediately the workers were informed and we left the workplace in protest and solidarity with our leaders. Our workplace was located midway between Penal and Siparia Police Stations. Within a few minutes the police arrived at the Power station and were looking for the union officers. I sought refuge in Gloria’s shop out at the main road.
The area around the Penal Power station has many entry and exit routes so the workers scattered in various directions. Some of us, as Union officers, were well known to the police. That march was a historic event that strengthened unity among the working class throughout the country. Solidarity came in from the region and internationally. As usual our P G Weekes would be one of the masterminds of that event. Many non-working class organisations, including religious bodies, joined in the march while many others were in solidarity. Eric Williams and some business groups were at their wits end. The result was the infamous violent assault on the marchers.
A NOTE ON BOODRAM JATTAN
PG Weekes engaged a simple cane farmer from Barrackpore, Comrade Boodram Jattan, to address our Annual Conference of Delegates. He rocked the Hall. Comrade Jattan would eventually get to know Teddy Belgrave and others. I know that Gerry Kangalee was fascinated by the knowledge of this simple cane farmer. PG opened the way for Brother Boodram Jattan establishing a strong voice in the ULF.
Comrade Jattan would eventually represent the constituency of Naparima as the ULF candidate for the 1976 general elections. Comrade Sylvester Ramquar and myself were part of his election campaign team. I had a small 2 seater open top Austin Sprite and that was the transport vehicle for Comrade Boodram Jattan canvassing throughout Naparima and also at the last rally before the General Elections. I am proud to say that he got the most votes at that election. He became the MP for Naparima in the opposition ULF.
Again through PG Weekes, Brother Raffique Shah had the same accommodation at our Union. Brother Shah would fight the Siparia seat and won also. He had good support from the members of Penal Power Station.