President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Komal Chand has passed away. Aside from being a champion for workers’ rights, he was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
The party issued the following release:
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) mourns the passing of a stalwart and one of the nation’s truest champions of workers, particularly sugar workers, Cde Komal Chand J.P./C.O.A., C.C.H.
Komal Chand served our party in various capacities, inclusive of being a long-standing member of the Central and Executive Committees. He also represented the PPP and the PPP/C in Parliament for over 20 years. But his most notable contribution was as the head of GAWU, the country’s largest trade union.
His contributions to protecting the rights of sugar workers, fisherfolks, and forestry sectors employees, among others are well recognized across our country and will be remembered by generations to come.
Also, his efforts to unify the Labour movement are unparalleled and this led to the formation of FITUG.
Without a doubt, the brutality meted out to thousands of our sugar workers by the APNU+AFC during the past five years would have taken a severe toll on his well-being. But to the end, he remained undaunted and steadfast in his struggles to protect workers and defend their rights.
Comrade Komal Chand left a rich legacy of hard work, sacrifice and life-long commitment to the working
people of Guyana.
The party wishes to express its deepest condolences to his family, the trade union fraternity and the working people of Guyana to whom he showed immense devotion.
People’s Progressive Party
