By: Batumba Tak
General Secretary
The St. Kitts-Nevis Trades & Labour Union

Why trade Unions

In the words of Phillip Murray, “Unions were created to make living conditions just a little better than they were before they were created, and the Union that does not manifest that kind of interest in human beings cannot endure.”
I am pretty sure that some persons will not agree with me, and I am also pretty sure that many more persons than those who disagree with me will agree with me that Trade Unions are very important organizations in the society, more so, especially in today’s fast paced world.

The above quotation by Phillip Murray exemplifies those of the St. Kitts-Nevis Trades & Labour Union which continue right up to today.

Many moons ago, the working class people, or labourer as they were then called, had no rights, was treated with little or no respect and led a life which was socially submerged and barred.

It has since been acknowledged and accepted that the inspiring answer to these intolerable and dehumanizing existence was economic organization through Trade Unions.

Thus, the working class people (the Masses) became determined not to wait for charitable impulses to arise within the minds of his/her employer. Therefore, they constructed the means by which fairer sharing of the fruits of his/her toil had to be given to them or the wheels of industry, which they alone turned, would halt and wealth for no one would be available.