GRENADIAN trade unionist Chester Humphrey who was surprisingly jeered at the recent May Day celebrations in St George’s rcent spoke about the incident in an exclusive interview with the St George’s based weekly newspaper CARIBUPDATE WEEKLY.
The interview was conducted by the newspaper’s editor Lincoln Depradine, and reproduced here with the appropriate permissions.
(Edtior’s note: CARIBUPDATE WEEKLY is a Grenadian based publication, which operates independently of the Caribupdate News Service).
Caribupdate Weekly: The jeering at May Day was unusual, in that it was directed at a leader of the trade union movement himself. Do you think it was a spontaneous action?
Humphrey: No, it was not spontaneous; it was organized. Prior to May Day, at least one trade union leader, at the TUC meeting which preceded May Day, said at that meeting that he was aware that workers were coming to boo me. The matter was never addressed by TUC. Also, prior to May Day, a friend of mine – Swinton Lambert – called me to tell me that he had a discussion with Justin Campbell, who is president of the Bank and General Workers’ Union, who told him that they were coming on May Day to deal with me. It is well known that Justin is a sympathizer and an activist supporter of the Congress. So, it was not a spontaneous matter; it was organized and instigated. And there is sufficient evidence that satisfies me that some of that instigation came from within the labour movement at the leadership level.
Caribupdate Weekly: What would be the motive for instigating such action against you?
Humphrey: Politics! Because there could be absolutely no doubt of my commitment to the Grenadian working class; a commitment which did not start yesterday. I am the only trade union leader, since the collapse of the Revolution, to have been locked up for trade union activities; no other leader has. So, my credentials in serving the working class are not only well-established and well-noted but recognized throughout the Caribbean. Don’t forget it was last year October that I was returned unopposed as general secretary of the Caribbean Congress of Labour.
And, if you listen to TAWU’s May Day speech, unlike other speeches which were rhetorical, we called for a number of concrete things for the workers. For example, anti-sexual harassment legislation at the workplace; enactment of modern and comprehensive safety and health legislation; fast-tracking the creation of jobs; consistent with the TUC’s position, we called for the removal of income tax on pensioners; and condemned the genocide against people of Haitian ancestry in the Dominican Republic. In addition, we called for solidarity with Cuba and for support to the masses of Venezuela in the struggle to retain control of their resources for the working masses. We also demanded the establishment of a consumer protection agency and a number of other concrete measures, having to do with the improvement in the stock of the workers.
I have been a leader that is characterized by standing for what I believe. And, whatever I stand for, I proclaim it. So, for example, a number of my colleagues in the trade union movement were upset with me when I took issue with them for publicly expressing annoyance over the fact that the government was going to pay small depositors who lost their money in Capital Bank. I have said to my trade union colleagues that their position is a serious departure from the essence of trade unionism. In other words, who is speaking for the poor peasantry and the so called “Traveau workers”?
On my instigation, we led a successful campaign for the restitution of workers and others who lost their monies in British American and CLICO. We have members of the business class who joined a picket set up by the TUC, demanding that restitution be made and that was in 2010. People lost their money in 2007 when Capital Bank closed. The TUC didn’t have a problem demanding restitution for those who lost their money in British America and CLICO. Why should it have a problem with small people, who are not organized into trade unions and have suffered as a result of the action of the state? I disagree with the prime minister when he says the only obligation he feels that government has is a moral one. So, when he decided to make the payment, I supported the payment. Not only do I support the payment, I believe in full restitution. Now, my colleagues argued that how come you couldn’t pay me my retroactive pay, how come you’re paying them? I said to them, comrades, most of these people who are receiving that money are without work; and most of their children are unemployed. You have just received a pay increase and two tranches. What’s wrong with the state giving a partial, limited restitution to these poor, voiceless people who lost their savings? Then, I was told it was the timing. I said, what do you mean by the timing? Cap Bank collapsed since 2007.
Restitution for those who lost money in British American and CLICO has been happening over the last two years. You see what is happening here within the trade union movement, we are looking at the politics of the worker. I am not looking at the politics of the worker; the worker has a right to his politics. The issue is whether restitution is justifiable or not; and it is justifiable. And let me make this point. The failure of the government to meet certain commitments is not something that has started now. We could say the current government contributed significantly to where we have found ourselves. But the reality is that in addressing the issue, we ought not to depart from sacred principles of the trade union movement. And this, unfortunately, is what is happening.
Caribupdate Weekly: Based on all that happened at May Day, did that faze you at all?
Humphrey: Absolutely not. For those of you who know me, I am not fazed by that, simply because what are at stake here are certain fundamental principles; and I operate on the basis of fundamental principles. I don’t abandon my principles. But I made it clear that my approach going forward was one in which I conceptualized what I describe as “Project Grenada’’. And therefore, for me, I would support anything that would help Grenada. Look at what’s happening in Barbados; over 4000 public officers have lost their jobs and the job loss is still climbing. The latest information is that an additional 2000 Barbadian workers are to be cut from statuary enterprises. And I can tell you, that in the private sector, RBTT Bank is closing not one branch in Barbados but seven branches are being closed. And not only in RBTT, it’s also happening in FirstCaribbean Bank in Barbados and the government, for the first time, has been paying salaries late for government daily paid workers, according to the general secretary of the National Union of Public Workers in Barbados; unprecedented in the history of Barbados. Now, that is what we are confronting.
So, I cannot subscribe to a political strategy which says ensure that the current government fails in the structural adjustment program. That’s the essence of the strategy. They may talk cooperation. But the essence of the strategy, as I see it, is to make sure the program fails. Because if it fails, people will hurt and lose job and at the next election, I would be re-elected to office. Now, I cannot subscribe my trade union principles to that strategy. My question to those who promote that strategy is, what happens to the workers?
So, among some my colleagues I am no longer popular. And I’m no longer popular because I’m not doing the political work that they expect me to do. I am about Project Grenada; and, if the government does something that I see is positive, I will support it. But I would not be a condemnatory spokesman as I used to be for 13 years. Because at the end of the day, what I got from that is that hundreds of workers paid tax on their severance pay before Mr. Burke delayed moving it for only one year!
What I got from that is I got myself locked up in a South St George Police Station and expelled from a political party that I helped to put in power, and hundreds of Brewery workers were beaten by riot police. I will speak on issues when I determine that I want to speak. But I am happy to say that today the workers who are leaving LIME, RBTT and FirstCaribbean Bank would not be paying income tax on severance pay; that all the women unfairly dismissed at Lotto got back their jobs with a year’s full pay, plus bonus and annual vacation leave.
I have not lost my militancy. But, I know in this period if we are not careful, we may do more harm to the workers than good. In this period, the most dangerous thing facing the workers is blind, reckless militancy because that can’t help you. You have an economy that is in very deep crisis; that is stuck; that needs to be restructured. People are saying we shouldn’t go to the IMF; if you are not prepared to go to the IMF, where else would you get the money from? There is nowhere else you’ll get it. You have to go to international capital and the mechanisms that it has set up.
Caribupdate Weekly: Is this going to affect, if at all, your relations with your colleagues in the trade union movement?
Humphrey: My response always will be what’s in the best interest of the workers. As I told one trade union leader, this action sets up a dangerous road. Because there is nothing which says that I cannot organize a contingent of workers to come next year and boo a president. Don’t be misled into believing that I don’t have supporters who can come boisterously at a May Day function and boo down a president in return for what was done to me; and, as I say, instigated by leaders within the trade union movement. But, I don’t operate on that basis because it would be a serious departure from my principles. It is unfortunate but it hasn’t fazed me in any way. But in the better interest of the movement, we have to focus on protecting the worker as best as we could and the worker family as best as we could. The only how we could successfully come out of these economic difficulties that we face is if we cooperate on a basis of mutual respect and cooperation. To get out of this crisis, we need a collaborative effort in which all classes and strata must participate.
Caribupdate Weekly: It was observed that after the booing, none of the trade union leaders who spoke subsequently evenly mildly admonished the workers. Were you surprised at that?
Humphrey: No, I really was not surprised. There were some who gleefully and figuratively ejaculated over this event. And, interestingly, the person who spoke after me, his theme was concurrent with the incident. His theme was that he was not a sellout. So, I was being booed for selling out and his theme was that he was not a sellout. And you are right that no one, including the president of the TUC, admonished the workers for what they did. But you see, where there is lack of foresight, according to the old Christian saying, the people perish.
