Brief Outline of Trade Union Development in Barbados

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BRIEF OUTLINE OF TRADE UNION DEVELOPMENT IN BARBADOS
The historic Emancipation Act of 1834 ushered in the period of “free labour” in Barbados
and the West indies generally, modified only by the existence of the Apprenticeship system
between 1834 and 1838.
The West Indies therefore stands poised on the 150th anniversary of the passage of that Act
which provided the genesis of our modern industrial relations system.
The opening of the new headquarters of the Barbados Workers’ Union, “Solidarity House”,
at this time comes, fortuitously, 150 years after the Act was passed, even though it came into
operation in 1834. It provides an opportunity to assess, however briefly, the rise of the labour
movement in Barbados in the intervening period, with particular emphasis on the role of the
Barbados Workers’ Union.
1838 – 1937
ANTECEDENTS:
With the enfranchisement of 83,000 former slaves in 1838, all attempts were made to
marginalize them, and to keep them in subjection in the society.
Gradually, those at the bottom of the pyramid sought to challenge their position, and the
roles assigned to them. However, the problem of finding suitable leaders, and an organizational
basis to institutionalize their struggle, was a stumbling block.
There were few leaders in a continuum from Samuel Jackman Prescod to Charles Duncan
O'Neal, to take up the workers' cudgel. At the level of another continuum, the work of Hewitt,
Elcock, Professor S. Arlington Newton and the Wilson brothers did not flourish to provide the thrust
for the early labour movement.
During this period, only two organisations of any stature appeared as possible vehicles to
propel the workers' interest - the Democratic League and the Workingmen's Association.
The period witnessed two serious convulsions: the Confederation Riots of 1876, which had
undertones of workers' revolt; and the cataclysmic 1937 disturbances, the watershed from which
the labour development rushed into a raging torrent of action and achievement.
THE 1937 DISTURBANCES
The events of July 26th, 1937, and succeeding days are so important in the history of the
labour movement, that on this occasion we renew our call for its declaration as a National Day.
The disturbances were a direct result of appalling social and economic conditions, as
supported by the findings of the Deane and Moyne Commissions. It was also a result of a political
system which gave its critics a voice to complain, but little avenue to ensure effective political
action.
It was partly this political voice, symbolised and given flesh by Clement Payne and his band
of supporters, Menzies Chase, Ulric Grant, Israel Lovell, Darnley Alleyne and Mortimer Skeete,
which acted as a catalyst for the disturbances
It was a direct result of this disturbance, part of a chain of convulsions in the British West
Indies, that a new attitude to industrial relations in the region became apparent.
International horror at the disturbances aroused the British concern about the area. The
British authorities urged on by Labour advocates, sought to spur colonial assemblies, including that
of Barbados, awake from their long torpor of neglect.
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Migrant Barbadian communities, in the United Kingdom as in the United States of America,
joined the local voices in projecting the cause of labour.
It was clear that there was a crying need to focus on establishing an industrial relations
system, if the excesses of the 1937 disturbances were to be prevented from reoccurring.
THE EARLY YEARS (1941-1944)
The passing of the Trade Union Act in 1939, which came into force in 1940, provided legal
sanction for the Barbados Workers' Union to be founded on 4th October, 1941. The period between
1941 and 1944 was crucial for the Union, and the year 1944 was indeed a landmark in the forward
advance of the workers' movement.
The Union started in this initial period with three functional divisions: the Ships Carpenters,
the Barbados Foundry Mechanics and the Central Foundry Mechanics. These three pioneer Divisions
held the fort valiantly until 1944, following a strike at the Barbados Foundry, which gave a new
lease of life to the Union.
Comrade McDonald Brathwaite, a senior workman at the Barbados Foundry, with over 20
years' service, was dismissed and the Executive Council had no alternative but to support him. The
act of dismissal was part of the employers' method of intimidation.
The year 1944 also saw a reduction in the income qualifications for the franchise from £50
per annum to £20 per annum. This constitutional breakthrough strengthened the workers' voice in
the running of the country. The general election following the constitutional change saw the
removal of the sugar barons and the princes of trade from their political seats of power. The
Barbados Labour Party was returned with 8 seats, the Congress Party with 8 and the Electors'
Association also with 8. As the voice of the people was not consolidated, however, the
Conservatives were able to manipulate the situation for some time.
Up to 1944, the leadership of the Union was projected by the President, Mr. Grantley Adams
(later Sir Grantley Adams) and the administrative work was done by Mr. Hugh Springer (now Sir
Hugh Springer). Both, at the same time, were full time legal practitioners. The appointment of the
present General Secretary, Comrade Frank Walcott, on 1st January, 1945, as the first full time
administrative official of the Union, was to herald significant changes in the Union.
Success at the polls and the influx of port workers into the Union, for the first time, gave
the Union a new image. There had been achievements for workers, and various agreements signed
on behalf of bakers, foundry workers, dockers and sugar workers. By 1944, the Union was poised
on the threshold of significant developments.
1945-1949
The five-year period, 1945-1949, represents the most vital period in the life of the Barbados
Workers' Union: The period began with the Union fighting one of its fiercest battles - in the sugar
industry. In 1945 the Congress Party, an equal political force with the Barbados Labour Party, attempted to form a trade union based on rural support.
The Barbados Labour Party was organically linked with the Union at that time. After a period
of serving the Union for six months, its youthful Assistant to the General Secretary became a
member of the House of Assembly for St. Peter on 9th July, 1945, joining the President and the
General Secretary.
The struggle for the sugar workers ended with the appointment of Professor C. Y. Shepherd
of the then Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, to conduct a one-man inquiry into the sugar
industry. His major recommendation was that sugar should be paid for by the ton rather than the
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cane hole, and he recommended a price of 42 cents per ton. This report gave the Union added
strength and prestige in the sugar areas.
The waterfront workers, at this stage, were the dominant force of the Union. Their section
represented more workers than any other division and "possessed the militancy the Union required
at that time.
The sugar factory workers were enthusiastic, but lacked the cohesion of the waterfront
workers. The growing strength of the Union manifested itself in the General Elections of 1946 and
1948 by increased membership in the House of Assembly for the Barbados Labour Party.
In 1945, the Barbados Workers' Union was host to the first Caribbean Labour Conference. It
brought together such persons as Vere Bird (Antigua), Robert Bradshaw (St. Kitts), George
McIntosh (St. Vincent), Albert Marryshow (Grenada), Albert Gomes (Trinidad), Hubert Crichlow
(British Guiana) and Richard Hart (Jamaica), who came as a substitute for Norman Manley. This
was an epoch making conference which charted a path for the labour movement in the region.
The publication of the Moyne Commission Report in 1945 provided a mine of information for
labour leaders.
The period 1945--1949 was characterised by events which made it a most crucial period in
the development of the Union, however, it was not without setbacks. In 1947, the first General
Secretary of the Union, Hugh Springer, resigned to take up a post at the University of the West
Indies. Springer's departure was a great loss to the Union as well as to the political party.
On 25th July, 1948, Frank Walcott was elected to the post of General Secretary, a position
which, after thirty-five years, he continues to invest with the vigour of youth, combined with the
sagacity of experience.
The same year, K.N.R. Husbands, an Assistant Secretary in the Union, joined the General
Secretary in the House of Assembly, thus strengthening the position of the labour movement in the
legislative chambers.
The Union continued to advance in this period, which saw the distinction of Grantley Adams,
the President, addressing the United Nations Assembly in Paris. On his return, he was accorded a
warm welcome by the members of the Executive Council, in spite of the widespread denunciation
of his speech at the Paris Assembly.
In December, 1949, the Union participated in its first World Trade Union Conference, that of
the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, in London.
1950 -1954
The Barbados Workers' Union started the 1950-1954 period with the growing confidence of
the most powerful and united trade union in the island.
At the end of the previous five-year period, the Workmen's Compensation Bill was enacted.
The law was based on the U.K. Act of 1925, but it was a start in social legislation.
The conservative background of Barbados makes it imperative for the Union and the
political party representing the hopes and aspirations of the workers to unite. This unity gave
Barbados a unique position in the Caribbean. Between the years 1948 and 1953, the General
Secretary of the Union, Frank Walcott, was also general secretary of the political party. He and
Grantley Adams formed a trade union duo on the Governor-in-Executive Committee.
1950 opened with the Union making important inroads into the sugar industry. To avoid a
breakdown in this sector, the then Governor, Sir Alfred Savage, persuaded the employers, to
change the methods of negotiating the sugar agreement.
In 1951 the famous Domestic Sugar Agreement was concluded. It brought substantial
benefits to the sugar workers, especially in 1951. For the first time a production bonus was
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introduced, and, in addition to the basic wage increases, the workers received a bonus of 19 per
cent. This captivated the populace, and helped the Labour Party to sweep the polls at the first
election called after the declaration of adult suffrage, gaining fifteen (15) of the twenty-four (24)
seats.
New political aspirants like Errol Barrow, Lorenzo Williams and Cameron Thdor returned
mainly from England and immediately made an impact on the local scene.
This period also coincided with a vibrant clamour for self-government, which escalated after
the Montego Bay Conference of 1947.
In the midst of political action and change; the Union continued its activities. It took a
positive position on the proposal to construct the Deep Water Harbour, an action which would have
far reaching impact on its most powerful section. Action was also taken to consolidate the Union's
administrative machinery, in order to cope with the new demands facing the organisation.
The period saw the passing of the Holidays with Pay Act, introducing for the first time, a
legal vacation for all workers. This resulted from the united force of party and union at work, and
was a reflection of the kind of legislation produced during this period.
However, the period after 1953 was decisive in the development of the Union and the
Labour Movement. There was agreement in 1953 that Barbados would proceed to ministerial
government in February, 1954. 'This came at a time when the party was already showing signs of
internal rift, and it led to a split between the President and the Union.
It was a time when some were of the "opinion that the Union depended on the Labour Party
for its survival. As a result, attempts were made to weaken the Union by attacking the General
Secretary, a policy which failed because of the support which he gained from members of the
Union.
With Adams' gone, the Union chose McDonald Blunt, a port worker, as its President, over
the candidacy of "Sleepy" Smith, a barrister. Adams and Springer, the two legal practitioners, were
now off the scene; the future of the Union was firmly in the hands of the workers.
1955-1959
By 1952, the Union could claim 14,000 members in 25 active divisions. The Union's task was
to expand this membership during the period under discussion. The decision to construct a deep
water harbour, and the sugar industry, were challenges facing the Union. The threat of
displacement of sugar workers and dockers was a serious one.
At this time, the Union was fortunate to attract organisers like Lester Greene and Winston
Small. It was well that the Union could recruit support staff, because it was poised on a period
when it would become a target of political opposition and victimisation.
The Union made a concerted effort to organise sugar workers through the length and
breadth of the island during this period.
It was a time when sugar played a prominent role in the economy and regional
organisations were eager to collaborate with sugar unions in the area. There were sugar
conferences in Guyana and Havana, Cuba, and the ILO held its first meeting for plantation workers
during the period. The General Secretary, Frank Walcott, accompanied by Dr. Eric Williams as his
adviser, was a member of the Barbados delegation which formed part of the United Kingdom
delegation to the conference.
The Advocate strike of 1956 was the longest strike experienced by the Union. It lasted for
thirteen (13) weeks. Over 200 workers were involved and this was the first time that permanently
employed workers in such large numbers went on strike for such a long period. The strike came at
a time when the Labour Party would not have done anything to assist the workers' cause because a
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defeat for the Union would have added to its power and position and would, at least, have given it
the opportunity to install in the Union, persons acceptable to the Party.
After the Advocate strike, the Union gained new power and prestige and it started to
prepare for the changes that mechanisation was bringing, both in the docks and in the sugar
industry. It- was during this period that the Union initiated the proposal for a Provident Fund for
Sugar Workers and the gradual introduction of Severance Pay. This new social concept of
rewarding a worker when he is unable to work through old age, invalidity or some other cause was
propelled by the Union. The concept took some time to gain acceptance and it was not until 1964
that the Provident fund for Sugar Workers came into operation.
The beginning of the period also marked the expansion of the regional trade union activities
and what is now known as the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) then called the Caribbean Area
Division of ORIT (CADORIT). The General Secretary, Frank Walcott, became its first Chairman. This
regional grouping brought the Barbados Workers' Union into closer relationship with other union
and industrial relations personalities in the Caribbean. During the Advocate Company dispute,
mentioned earlier and other dispute with the Telephone Company, Dr. Eric Williams (later Prime
Minister of Trinidad and Tobago), visited Barbados as a guest of the Union and collaborated with
the Union during the disputes. There was also an important 12-day strike over the dismissal of the
President of the Ju-c Company division.
Changes on the political scene, during the period, had ominous implications for the Union.
After Adams left the Union and ministerial government was introduced, the first setback to the
Union was the revoking of a decision to send the Assistant General Secretary, Comrade Bushell, to
the United Kingdom on a course. The new government used its authority on the members of the
then Executive Council to rescind the decision.
By the time the 1956 election came around, a new political group, the Democratic Labour
Party, had risen out of a splinter from the Labour Party. The two prime targets of the Labour Party
were Errol Barrow, leader, of the newly formed DLP, and the General Secretary of the Union, Frank
Walcott. Before the election, the Executive Councils of the Labour Party and the Union called for a
truce which was rejected by the General Secretary, who ran as an Independent candidate, and was
returned for St. Peter. The irony of the situation is evident in the fact that the Assistant General
Secretary, Kenmore Husbands, ran as a candidate for the Labour Party. The Labour Party's victory
at the polls ensured continued opposition to the Union.
The Labour Party also won the 1958 Federal Elections. The island was regarded as one
constituency with five seats. The General Secretary, running as an Independent, was beaten into
sixth position.
It was remarkable for the Union, that in spite of the apparent setbacks and divisions during
the period, it was able to renovate its headquarters building, a decision that had been mooted since
1946. This became a reality in September, 1959 when the new Headquarters building at the Comer
of Nelson and Fairchild Streets were declared open. The building was one of the most modem trade
union headquarters in the region, and a great achievement for the Barbados Workers' Union. At the
time of its opening, the Union could boast some 17,000 members in 42 divisions. Its ranks had
been swollen by members of the Barbados Clerks' Union whose membership brought a new
dimension to the trade union.
1960- 1974
The decade of the sixties and the first half of the seventies were eventful and stabilising
years for the Union. The break with the Barbados Labour Party continued to affect the Union during
the early part of this period. There were attempts to infiltrate higher offices of the Union, and when
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K.N.R. Husbands left the Union to become Speaker of the House of Assembly, an attempt was
made to appoint a Labour Party adherent in his post. Mr. Lester Greene was promoted to the post
of Assistant General Secretary, in an attempt to maintain the independence of the Union.
The early part of the period witnessed the opening of the deep water harbour and the
general elections of1961 which saw a change in the ruling political regime. The harbour was
opened in July and the elections were held in December, 1961.
The opening of the harbour brought the most dramatic industrial change in the history of
Barbados. More than a thousand workers were displaced as a result of the new harbour! 1his
serious labour transformation, without the creation of corresponding job opportunities in the
country, forced some of the displaced workers to become an army of dissatisfied persons.
The Union used the occasion to introduce a new charter for dockers. A Provident Fund, sick
payment and Holidays with Pay for pooled earnings, were all introduced. The opening of this new
harbour was a test for the imagination of the Union to accept a change that was inevitable and in
the best interest of the workers and the wider community.
The General Secretary of the Union spoke on the platform of the Democratic Labour Party,
even though he was not a member of that Party in 1961. The new Party, led by Errol Barrow, who
had lost in the 1956 election, but gained a seat in a bye election in St. John in 1958, swept the
Labour Party from power and paved the way for a new political configuration.
This period showed that sugar was still important. The Union's agreement with the Sugar
Producers' Federation was the subject of public comment by the politicians. This reached alarming
proportions in 1963. The Union was able to negotiate additional increases following an agreement,
earlier in the year. This was as a result of higher prices after the agreement was reached. The
Union submitted a proposal that a portion of the increase should be paid into a special fund to be
administered exclusively for the benefit of sugar workers. The Sugar Producers agreed with the
proposal.
The proposal was accepted by the Government and legislation was introduced in the House
of Assembly to approve the proposal.
However, the opposition Labour Party vehemently resisted the proposal. Grantley Adams
spearheaded a new trade union registered as The Barbados Progressive Union of Workers.
The Union pressed on in spite of the opposition and in the following year was victorious in a
struggle to improve the out-of-crop wages for the sugar workers, putting an end to the rival union.
During this period, the Union was able to consolidate its finances better by the
establishment of the check-off system for union dues, after a struggle to get this method instituted.
The period also saw the dramatic struggle for national independence, which became a
reality on 30th November, 1966. It was also during this year that the Union celebrated its 25th
anniversary in grand style. An Executive Board meeting of the International Confederation of Free
Trade Unions (ICFTU) was held in Barbados to mark the occasion. The Union renovated one of its
buildings (now known as "Unity House") which has served as an important meeting place.
During the period, the General Secretary lost in the 1966 election, but regained a seat in the
1971 election. On both occasions the Democratic Labour Party was successful at the polls.
In 1968 the Union engaged its first education officer, Evelyn Greaves, who became a
member of the Parliament in 1971.
The period was also one of militance for the Union. There were disputes with the Provision
Merchants and Commission Agents (1971), Clarke and Tucker (1972), Hensher (1972) and the
Hotel Association (1973). All of the disputes saw the Union responding successfully to the various
challenges and obstacles which were placed in the path of the labour movement. At this time,
disputes were largely either for recognition, as in the case of Clarke and Tucker, or, more
frequently, for better wages for workers.
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The Union's organisation was strengthened during this period and it was able to make a
firm push into several sectors, including white collar areas. In 1966, it was recognised as bargaining
agent for government unestablished and casual employees, air traffic controllers, staff at the
Government Printery, postmen and messengers. It also organised workers at BWIA, clerical
workers at the Port, Rediffusion, Fogarty and the Barbados Tourist Board and the Development
Board.
In terms of legislation, the Union had made some significant advances. The Trade Union Act
was amended to provide for peaceful picketing; the Workmen's Compensation Act was amended to
provide for domestics; the Severance Pay Act was introduced; National Insurance became a reality.
1974 saw the Union poised on a new threshold of activity with the establishment of the
Labour College at Mangrove in St. Philip on grounds purchased by the Union.
It also saw the beginning of the impact of the energy crisis whose ramifications were to be
a powerful determining factor in industrial relations and the future role of the Union.
1975 to Present:
The period after 1975 has been one of the most challenging for the Barbados Workers'
Union, and yet, the Union can boast of some of its most solid achievements during this period.
The oil crisis and its resultant impact during the mid-and late 1970's, has had persistent
effects into the current period. The devastation wreaked by sudden and sharp increases in the price
of petroleum and its by-products, continues to plague the economies of the developed world.
Governments, including the local ones, have attempted policies of wage freeze, and have adopted
general anti-trade union policies in an attempt to battle with serious economic problems.
The inflationary spiral, and rapid increases in the cost of living forced the Union to move
away from three-year agreements into two-year agreements from the 1st January, 1974.
During this period, the Government set a pattern of legislating salaries in the public sector
before a collective agreement was reached. This was first done in 1976, and continues to be an
unwholesome feature of negotiations for the wages of public workers.
The difficulty was compounded in 1976 when the Democratic Labour Party lost the elections
after fifteen years in government. The General Secretary lost his seat in this election, while Evelyn
Greaves lost his in the 1981 contest. During this period, those against the Union have sought to
spread a myth that trade unionists should not seek to represent political parties in the House of
Assembly.
The new government intervened in negotiations between the Union and Statutory boards
such as the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), as well as the sugar industry, and has also
been espousing a policy of wage restraint. These policies have been challenged by the Union.
The Union's achievements in the socio-economic development of the workers in this period
has been meritorious. Following the purchase of 98 acres of land at Mangrove, the Union not only
provided a modem educational complex on 10 acres of this land, but has completed phases 1 and 2
of a three-phase housing development. The Union has been able to provide some 79 three- and
two-bedroom houses for workers, at extremely moderate costs. The Union has also been able to
provide a playing field for workers at Mangrove.
In another area, the Union has been able to establish a Credit Union for its members. The
credit union was registered on 8th July, 1983 and is the fulfilment of one of the original aims of the
Union.
In the area of inter-divisional activities, this period has witnessed the growth of a Union
Choir, the development of handicraft activities, interdivisional cricket, other sporting activities and
programmes to help in the wider development of members' talents.
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The period, however, has not been without the militance in defending workers' rights which
has characterised the Union's development. This was demonstrated in 1977 when there was a
strike at the Transport Board over wage increases for workers, as well as in the Telephone
Company dispute of 1981. The latter dispute arose over the dismissal of the President of the Union
Division, David Giles. The strike, lasting three weeks, was one of the most extensive ever faced by
the Union.
There is no more fitting and symbolic a conclusion to a review of the Union's development
than its new Headquarters, "Solidarity House". The purchase was necessitated because of the
Union's outgrowing its present buildings at "Unity House" and headquarters at Fairchild Street. The
acquisition of the site at Harmony Hall is an indication of a vision and hope for the future of
workers in Barbados.
This review of the Union cannot be complete without giving thanks to those who, over the
years, have served the Union at the level of the Executive Council, on the staff, and in the various
divisions where they have given unstintingly of their services over time.
The Council looks forward to a future as exciting and challenging as the past has been and
feels confident that a backward glance is an excellent stimulator for future development.
(The above is largely an edited version of a series of “THE UNION SPEAKS” articles
published in 1974).
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