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

1954 declared the first Monday in May to be an annual public holiday.
Later on, the 23 rd of February was established as Federation Day to
mark the beginning of the short-lived West Indian Federation (1956-
1962) in which West Indians had pledges to “dwell together in Unity.”
Now, Statehood Day, 27 th February, has crowned the lot for celebrating
the attainment of a major par of our highest aspirations.
Under all of these important anniversaries runs a golden thread
which connects the common aims of the bulk of the people. It had some
relevance to the basic objectives of the Workers’ League when it
mapped out its huge programme and launched its Charity Day appeal so
many years ago. The organisation also created a Death Benefit Department
in October, 1935, to assist its members in the time of bereavement.
Then in 1937, it started a Saving Department with the motto,
“provide for a rainy day” to encourage the exercise of thrift. In 1940
a Co-operative Department was formed. This enabled consumers of
foodstuffs to share the profit on their purchases.
When we look back over the stretch of time and the general
chance of conditions, the contrast is amazing. The orphan of a penniless
worker will, very probably, not have to depend on a tiny allowance of
twelve cents from a Poor Law Board for his weekly subsistence. Indeed,
an orphan or others dependants of a worker will be provided for
by the newly established National Provident Fund if any parent is a contributor
to the fund. A worker reaching retirement will not, in the future,
find himself living in fear of knocking about, once he is covered
by the Provident Fund. Nobody in the world is happier that such a
measure of social security has been introduced into the St. Kitts-Nevis-
Anguilla than the leaders of the Labour Movement which started its
“Charity Day” effort thirty six years ago and have made a sound farsighted
measure the law of the land.
Traps along the way
When the workers of this country made their early start to get together,
the ruling people laid subtle traps to ensnare them. One of these traps
took the form of a bill which was to considered by the general legislative
council of the Leeward Islands on the 28 th April,1931. At that time
the workers were eager to organise so as to improve the conditions un-
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