JNF-The-Working-Class-Struggle-of-Half-a-Century

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prison sentences for what was commonly called “breaking the bridge of contract.” Commenting on the issue, The Union Messenger said: We regard the affairs as summary action taken by the owners of the factory, and the reply of the labourers as indicative of the fact that a cut in wages will be making an already difficult position to balance the cost of living, more difficult. We understand that the manager had notice posted to the effect that the weekly bonus would be discontinued and in addition, a cut of one penny in the shilling would be made. As we understand it, the weekly bonus is a conditional payment of an extra day’s pay per week whenever the week’s return is 800 or more tons of sugar, and according to information received the bonus has been earned regularly week by week. The bonus represents a reduction of 16 b per cent of the penny in the shilling a further reduction of 8a per cent, in making a total cut in wages of 25 per cent. Turning to the social implications, The Messenger stated, A cut in wages is not an affair for the unfortunate labourers alone. Today it has become a community affair because wage reduction means a decrease in purchasing power of the masses. At the sitting of the Oliver Commission at St. Kitts, all parties who gave evidence to the members thereof, were agreed and so stated it that the labourers’ wages had reached the irreducible minimum in this presidency and that no further reduction could be borne by them. In spite of the prevailing market price, the manufacture of sugar at the Factory was said to be still a paying business but the way profits were distributed was unbalanced. The Messenger went on: From this viewpoint, we hardly think that the Factory can justify their action to reduce the wages of their labourers when by so doing the shareholders profits will be further increased. It must also be borne in mind that when during the War years huge profits were being made, the labourers did not enjoy their proportion in higher wages. If the factory was in a bad financial position; if wages were at that time relatively high; if the worker were given a promise that they would share the profits when better days came; then it would have been 49
a very different matter. Rather, there was fear that the malady would spread. Speculation was afloat as to whether the estates would follow the example of the factory in cutting the wages of the estate workers Estate Workers (postcard by A. Moure Losada) Chastisement by Scorpions In April 1930, the workers returned to the job. They probably saw no other alternative. Next to the workmen themselves, who were victims of industrial and economic conditions - no one was more intensely hurt than the agency which was urging the workers to organise so as to foster their individual welfare and their collective protection. This was The Union Messenger. The events of the week had embittered The Messenger. It felt that an outrage had been committed on the workers. Here is the narrative along with impressions it related on the 23 rd April 1930 under the heading “Cracking the Whip.” This week we place on record the fact that the labourers have returned to their work. The story has a tail. Like every sin whether of commission or omission, this one was not to go unpunished... They have 50
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J. N. FRANCE ______________________
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© 2015 Published by The National A
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Preface The Working Class struggle
Page 9 and 10: 1 EARLY VISION Where is this countr
Page 11 and 12: With the passing of time, social an
Page 13 and 14: This early attempt at workers' orga
Page 15 and 16: post as a school teacher to succeed
Page 17 and 18: For several years the pressure was
Page 19 and 20: and school houses are being used fo
Page 21 and 22: housing condition arising from the
Page 23 and 24: 3 PREPARING THE GROUND The thought
Page 25 and 26: That impressive English story told
Page 27 and 28: they had accumulated £28 with whic
Page 29 and 30: Commons that since the colony of th
Page 31 and 32: 1922, some of the members of Legisl
Page 33 and 34: On 30 th August 1932 the Dominica T
Page 35 and 36: country and I regard British Guiana
Page 37 and 38: Mr. Marryshow then raised his tone
Page 39: Delegates to the West India Confere
Page 42 and 43: The conference opened its proceedin
Page 44 and 45: protests can be ignored with impuni
Page 46 and 47: Closer Union Commission widened to
Page 48 and 49: He said it was a privilege to him t
Page 50 and 51: possible, an education that must be
Page 52 and 53: and suffering, and in such a condit
Page 54 and 55: The land forming the Hospital compo
Page 56 and 57: ing able to grant the request of th
Page 60 and 61: sinned against the Factory. Theirs
Page 62 and 63: 9 FROM PAUPER RELIEF TO PROVIDENT B
Page 64 and 65: 1954 declared the first Monday in M
Page 66 and 67: it has proposed to interfere will b
Page 68 and 69: Change When the League came on the
Page 70 and 71: Children of the working class. 61
Page 72 and 73: had just dumped out a load of cane
Page 74 and 75: There was no reply from London. Twe
Page 76 and 77: president. When the delegation gave
Page 78 and 79: Under the law of 1937 only a limite
Page 80 and 81: Workers who would have benefited fr
Page 82 and 83: Grenada, and will seek to work in a
Page 84 and 85: Ferguson, Chairman of the Commissio
Page 86 and 87: Now let me say in the first place t
Page 88 and 89: We should like to refer to West Ind
Page 90 and 91: in West Indies there is a considera
Page 92 and 93: The 1932 Commissioners commented on
Page 94 and 95: not regard it as essential that the
Page 96 and 97: official news of its adoption by th
Page 98 and 99: gravity of the situation to the att
Page 100 and 101: On 13 th December, 1934 an unusuall
Page 102 and 103: employed by those who demand the ad
Page 104 and 105: concerning the right for the workin
Page 106 and 107: come relief to a grateful people an
Page 108 and 109:
vance towards the goal of the Feder
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members of the Council. Mr. Marrysh
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see no reason why we should be give
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Unofficial Majority on the Legislat
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tional reform movement in this Pres
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combine to give the Closer Union Sc
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prominent part in marking the close
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when the slaves were set free, and
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The people in those days took it fo
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Sugar Factory workers were “chast
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At West Farm the marchers were prev
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Some of the men, it was alleged, we
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gear was damaged and the employees
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Inspector of Police and Magistrate
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H.M.S. Leander arrived in the port
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satisfied that the action taken by
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16 THE FIRST ELECTION The clash of
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opposed to it. The 1936 Constitutio
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important matter, I promise the Ele
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could have no better representative
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whether it was a fact that the St.
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existing, it is not considered that
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17 THE 1938 ROYAL COMMISSION The 19
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A: Any law-abiding citizen over 16
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appeared and presented the case of
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18 A STAKE IN THE COUNTRY Land owne
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culture and Commercial Society. The
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After this, the land would vest abs
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age. In the following month, Januar
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19 MARCUS GARVEY IN ST. KITTS St. K
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When he made man he said, ‘By the
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oil underneath his feet. Englishmen
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is a little four-page newspaper. Yo
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provided the major portion of the e
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which should be paid for the variou
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In April 1969 the Minister of Labou
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21 POWER OF THE PRESS During first
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Commission headed by Sir Charles Fe
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President wrote, The issues are too
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the sea. The effects were terrible
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mendous crowd packed the Mutual Imp
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territory, the success of the past
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the notice, was that employees were
Page 194 and 195:
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