Trade Unionism in the Caribbean Trade unions defined:

Associations or bodies of salary and wage earners, who by collective action, seek to improve their general conditions (Munro 1985) A continuous association of wage earners and salaried professionals who pool their resources, time, energy, commitment and energy to build and maintain an organization under leadership, to represent , protect and advance their job related and other interests (Nurse 19092). Origin and Development The first unions in the BWI were formed in the 1890s. They were usually composed of skilled workers in one particular trade, such as, printers. In 1919 a Trade union law was passed which legitimized unions. However union membership was small and difficult to maintain for a number of reasons:

1. widespread emigration out of the WI and migration between islands 2. fluctuation in the economies resulted in great variations in workers’ conditions 3. it was difficult to organize agricultural workers 4. employers and workers were divided by race and class 5. union leadership was legally liable for loss of business by an employer in the

event of industrial unrest The 1930’s disturbances provided the impetus for the growth of unions. Between 1938 and 1943 58 new unions were registered membership of approx. 65,000. (Hamber and Greenwood) Political Unionism A close association was formed between trade unions and political parties by the 1940s. This happened under four circumstances:

where the unions came first, e.g. Antigua, St. Kitts, and Jamaica (Bustemante Industrial Trade Union) and the created the party

where the party came first and then created its union support, e.g. Jamaica’s Peoples National Party formed the National Workers Union.

Where the party and the union already existed and came together for mutual advantage, e.g. the Guiana Industrial Workers Union (1946) and the Peoples Progressive Party (1950) joined to contest the 1953 election

Where the union and the party were one and the same, e.g. the Barbados Progressive League registered as a trade union and entered politics

Reasons for the Relationship

o Unions were impatient with government’s failure to pass satisfactory labour laws

o The granting of universal adult suffrage allowed unions to use4 their membership to vote the union’s choice of representative

o The unions’ entry into politics was intended to thwart the middle classes of political power

o The incorporation of socialist ideals into party platform served to attract unions’ support.

Rise of independent unionism The relationship between unions and parties underwent a change by the 1970s. Divergent interests weakened the link. Munro (1985) offered the following reasons:

The interests of the professional and middle classes who controlled the parties were being met ahead of those of workers in the unions affiliated to the party

Workers became distrustful of the relationship as their benefits reduced Unions’ inability or unwillingness to deliver votes to the parties reduced their

importance to the parties The increase in public sector employment served to position the minister as a

giver of jobs and the appearance of conflict of interest forced the unions to distance themselves from the parties.

The movement to the formation of independent unions began by the 1970s particularly in the services sector, e.g. the University and Allied Workers Union (Jamaica). Achievements of trade unions By the 1960s unions in most territories has achieved some or all of the following benefits and conditions: Minimum wage law; minimum wage; holiday with pay; sick leave; redundancy pay; pensions; factory inspections.