December 11 marks 40 years of bauxite workers strike in Guyana

<p>This year marks 40 years since 42 striking bauxite workers were tear-gassed in a cell at the Linden Police Station.&nbsp; Only a handful of people about six are around in Linden; the rest are scattered or deceased.&nbsp; It was a most traumatic and ugly experience that left a bitter taste in the minds of the victims. <br /><br /><img style="vertical-align: middle; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://www.alcircle.com/uploads/images/Mine-Union.jpg" alt="News" width="517" height="226" /><br />It was an era of some turbulence and anxiety, with radical trade union activism and agitation. There were workers&rsquo; protests, demonstrations and strikes, and in many instances jobs were lost, although the fear of being victimized kept others in line. &nbsp;<br /><br />After the Guyana Mine Workers Union was invited to the Guyana Agriculture Workers Union Congress to be part of the agenda ? which was a customary thing then between unions ? they gave a splendid and dramatic presentation by way of a skit.&nbsp; Ironically this painful experience created much laughter and held the audience in rapt attention.<br /><br />{googleAdsense}<br /><br />It is interesting to note that the year 2016 is also the 100th year of bauxite mining (1916- 2016) which is celebrated in October-November. And these anniversaries coincide with the 40th anniversary of the 42 workers who were tear-gassed.&nbsp; Those workers made a tremendous contribution, each one of them an integral force in bauxite mining. &nbsp;<br /><br /></p>