The bloody 1937 Butler riots has left a mark in T&T's history. It was this era that spurred awareness of workers' rights all the way up the Caribbean island chain. It spurred similar workers unrest at Jamaica, Barbados, Grenada, and British Guiana.
Now 70 years after the riots, the lone surviving hero of the struggle, Elbert Redver Blades, now 105 years of age, is bringing a new twist to the bloody battles between the police and the working class.
A surprisingly collective Blades is adamant that the 1937 fracas was not really a people's riot but was merely a period of police brutality and revenge following the death of Cpl Charlie King, a police officer who was killed during a fracas in Fyzabad. Blades also claimed that another dead officer, sub-Inspector Bradburn, was murdered, not by the working class as previously reported, but by his own police colleagues.
In this feature, Blades speaks of his hurried attempts to hide Tubal Uriah Buzz Butler from the police, following the death of Charlie King in June 1937.
He also calls the names of people, long dead, who assisted in protecting Butler from the police wrath.
Although Blades is past his youthful years, he remembers vividly the officers who hunted them day and night.
He also recalls the love he felt for his young beautiful wife Muriel Evelyn Taylor, who was 20 years his junior, who made him stay away from the limelight in fear for their family.
Blades said he worked undercover. With the assistance of Adrian Cola Rienzi, they were able to command leadership of the working class, when Butler went into hiding.
Although parts of Blades' interview does not corroborate with documented historical fact, it is undoubtable that Blades worked assiduously to ensure that the working class received sick leave, vacation leave, retirement benefits, compensation for injury and other perks enjoyed by workers today.
A life of struggle
Blades was born on April 2, 1902 at St Francois Village, Port-of-Spain. At the time, Trinidad was still under colonial rule. Four years after Blades' birth, a worker uprising occurred in 1906 in British Guiana by activist Hubert Critchlow.
Blade said he grew up hearing of that strike, but never intentionally joined the labour struggle. However, he met Butler when he became a member of the Trinidad Labour party in 1937.
Blades said it was destiny that he ended up working as a motor mechanic in the oilfields which led him into the labour movement.
He said he had been expected to join the British Royal Navy after he won two scholarships in his youth to study The Science of British Theory of British aeroplane engines. Blades said he trained as a mechanic on a British war ship which was stationed at Piarco.
"After the six month scholarship, I get another one. I worked on the HMS Joshauk war ship. I completed this scholarship on the mechanical engineering of the British aircraft and when the training finish, they told us we have to enrol in the Royal army or go home," Blades recalled.
He said he was given the title 'civilian aero engineer." However, he opted to return home and later found a job as a motor mechanic in the oilfields. Within two years he was promoted as a supervisor.
Blades said during that time, workers were having difficulty in getting proper wages."In 1926 labourers were working for 12 cents an hour, they could exist on 12 cents, but as Wall Street crashed (the Great Depression), they cut it to eight cents in '29, by '30 they cut it to six cents and it remained at six cents till 1937; so even when the Depression was over by 1933, they were still getting the same six cents," Blades said.
He said oil companies were trying to suppress the working class.
"I think it was in 1923, the oil companies got together and formed the Petroleum Association of T&T; so they were together, but the workers had no leader so they (companies) could do whatever they like with wages. It was discovered that UBOT was paying wages higher than Leaseholds. They got together and say 'you must reduce that by ten per cent,' but UBOT say 'we can't do that because we supplying by contract.'"
Blades said people could not go to work for companies which paid higher wages because a passbook system was introduced.
"If you were ambitious and wanted to go to UBOT because they paying more, you can't do that because all of the companies got together and introduced a passbook with all your information. So if you getting ten cents is the same ten cents you will get if you move," Blades explained.
He said it was Butler who inspired the people to fight for their rights after he (Butler) got injured on the job. Butler got no compensation for his broken leg and could not get rehired without his passbook. Blades described Butler as a militant man.
"Faith kept us together for about six to eight years. When I joined the Labour party, I met men like Timothy Roodal who was called "Uncle Tim," Blades said. He said Butler began championing the people to fight for their rights.
He added that in June 1937 oil workers began sit-down strike action. Recalling the death of Charlie King, Blades said that it was "outsiders" who killed the corporal.
"He was a bad man you know, wicked wicked. The people, not the residents of Fyzabad, catch him and beat him. Then they set his body on fire," Blades said.
He said this created a desire for revenge. "It was not a riot, the press get that wrong. It was police revenge on the people for killing Charlie King," Blades said. He said police would pass through the streets and beat people from a side. He said sub-Inspect Blackburn who is believed to have been killed was a stray bullet, was actually slain by his own. "They carry away his body. The police knew who kill him. He was not killed by the police. It is the police who killed their own man," Blades said.
Blades said in the ensuing months he succeeded in hiding Butler from the police. "It was scary yes. Buzz knew they wanted to kill him. He was inciting the people so we sent him up in Port-of-Spain to live," Blades recalled.
Hiding Butler
Blades said a picture of Butler was never circulated in the country. "Nobody knew what he looked like in Port-of-Spain. So I sent him to live at No 66 George Street in Port-of- Spain. He went to stay with a man called Mr William. Everybody passing Buzz, talking abut him but they don't know is he. He selling in a parlour all that time. He stay there six months," Blades recalled chuckling.
He said: "One day a man walked in and say Buzz you hiding up here. Here is a good place to stay, nobody know you." Blades said that night police stormed the parlour. However, Butler was one step ahead. He had already vacated Mr Williams residence.
Blades said Butler then went to live at Cocorite, at the home of a man called Joe. During that time, arrangements were made to send Butler to Venezuela. Blades said Butler went to Venezuela for two weeks and then decided to return home.
Blades said he personally hid Butler in his house. However, he said this was dangerous. "I tell him to go to Carapichaima on a farm. He stay there for three weeks. They couldn't ketch him." Blades said Butler later surrendered to the police.
Major achievements
Although one may expect Blades to boast of his achievements within the labour movement, Blades believes his greatest accomplishment was in securing the hand of his second wife Muriel Evelyn Taylor, in 1942.
Taylor was just 20-years-old when Blades declared his undying love for her. He was 40-years-old at the time. Recounting the moment, Blades said Taylor's father Allen Taylor had been the Vice President of the Labour movement. Blades said Taylor laughed loudly at him when he asked for her hand in marriage.
Blades had been married before but his first wife died. Blades said nobody believed the marriage would work. "I was twice her age but we showed them it worked. I never went to bed with anybody else after I married her. We respected each other," Blades said.
He said that although Taylor died before him in 2003, she continues to live in his heart.
Dates to remember
1937-June 18th: Oil workers at Forest Reserve under Butler's leadership began strike action. The attempt to arrest Butler on charges of inciting breeches of the peace sparks widespread riots and unrest. Two policemen, Corporal Charlie King and Sub-Inspector Bradburn were killed in Fyzabad. Nine civilians were killed and fifty were wounded.
September-OWTU becomes the first registered trade union in Trinidad.
November-All Trinidad Sugar Estate and Factory Workers Trade Union (ATSEFWTU) is registered. Rienzi is elected president of both OWTU and ATSEFWTU. Federated Workers Trade Union (FWTU) and Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU) registered under the 1932 Ordinance.
September-Butler surrenders after three months in hiding.
1937-1938-Further Disturbances among workers in British Guiana, Barbados, Grenada and Jamaica.
1938-Trade Disputes Ordinance established an arbitration tribunal to provide machinery for the settlement of disputes after collective bargaining had broke down. By the end of 1938 there were ten trade unions in Trinidad, more than in any other West Indian colony.
1938-1939-West India Royal Commission by Lord Moyne
investigates conditions in the colonies. It recommended more British Government effort into promoting "development and welfare" and moderate constitutional change.
1939-Establishment of the Trade Union Congress. Rienzi elected first president.
1939-Government amends 1932 Ordinance to legalise peaceful picketing and give unions immunity from actions for damages arising out of strikes.
1939-1945-World War II. Butler detained. Boom in oil industry. Establishment of US bases in Trinidad create heightened expectation among working class as many experience better personnel practices and working conditions.
1945-Butler released and hailed as a hero of the working class. Death of Cipriani.
1946-First election with full adult suffrage. Butler loses to Albert Gomes in Port-of-Spain for a seat in the Legislative Council.
February 20, 1977-Butler dies.