lang: en
Summary
In 1977, sugar workers in Guyana, represented by the Guyana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU), went on strike for 135 days demanding payment of USD 85 million in wages withheld by the government-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) due to a 1974 sugar levy. The strike also aimed to pressure the government to resume power-sharing talks with the opposition People’s Progressive Party. Despite widespread support from unions and churches locally and abroad, the strike failed to achieve its goals, and many workers lost their jobs to strike-breakers.
Background
Since 1974, the Guyanese government had imposed a tax on sugar exports, leading to a dispute over whether the tax should be deducted from workers’ wages or from profits after compensation. The GAWU claimed that GuySuCo owed workers USD 85 million in withheld wages. Additionally, the ruling PNC had rejected power-sharing negotiations with the opposition PPP, prompting a secondary political goal for the strike.
What happened
On August 20, 1977, the GAWU sent a letter threatening an indefinite strike if GuySuCo did not pay the USD 85 million owed. [source: nv-database] Three days later, most of the 21,000 GAWU members went on strike [source: nv-database]. The PNC government declared the strike political, enacted the National Security Act to ban meetings and arrest leaders, and deployed soldiers, government workers, and over 6,000 unemployed people to replace strikers [source: nv-database]. The TUC attempted negotiations but failed, and the GAWU continued striking through November, gaining support from NAACIE (which held a two-week sympathy strike), British dockworkers who refused to unload Guyanese sugar, and Caribbean and Guyanese church councils [source: nv-database]. The government countered by mobilizing pro-PNC unions for counter-pickets and establishing a rival union [source: nv-database]. On January 5, 1978, after 135 days, the GAWU ended the strike without concessions; many workers did not regain their jobs [source: nv-database].
Key people & organizations
- Guyana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU)
- People’s Progressive Party (PPP)
- National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE)
- Guyana Headman’s Union
- Clerical and Commercial Workers Union
- University of Guyana Workers Union
- Trade Union Council
- Private Sugar Cane Farmers
- Dockworkers in Great Britain
- Oilworkers Union in Trinidad
- Caribbean Council of Churches
- Guyana Council of Churches
- Cheddi Jagan
- Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo)
- People’s National Congress (PNC)
- Forbes Burnham
Tactics used
The strike combined a sustained farm workers’ strike with sympathy strikes and a suppliers’ boycott by British dockworkers, creating economic pressure on the government. Coalition-building with unions, churches, and international allies amplified the campaign’s reach and legitimacy. [source: nv-database]
Outcome
Verdict: lost.
The strikers achieved none of their primary demands: GuySuCo did not pay the USD 85 million, and the PNC did not resume power-sharing talks. The government’s use of strike-breakers, repression, and parallel institutions weakened the strike’s impact, though the GAWU survived and later formed an opposition coalition within the TUC [source: nv-database].
Lessons
- Sustained strikes can be broken by government use of strike-breakers and repressive legislation, so campaigns need contingency plans for such responses.
- International solidarity actions, such as dockworker boycotts, can amplify pressure on a target.
- Coalition-building with diverse groups (unions, churches, political parties) strengthens a campaign’s resilience even if the immediate goals are not met.
Sources
- Global Nonviolent Action Database —
[[nv-database]]
Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.
Sources & verification
nv-database— grounding: primary — license: link-only- Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via
worker_casestudies_v2.py