Last Updated on January 24, 2022, 6:58 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Homage has been paid to the founding fathers of the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) as the party celebrate its 90th Anniversary. The SKNLP is the longest active political party not only in the OECS but also the wider English speaking Caribbean.
Speaking at a Thanksgiving Service at the New Birth Gospel Tabernacle in Cayon on Sunday, Dr Terrance Drew, the newly-elected national political leader said the establishment of the SKNLP, which carried the name St Kitts-Nevis Worker’s League when it was established in 1932 was aimed at putting an end once and for all to Crown Colony rule and the introduction of respect for the human dignity of ordinary workers, fair wages, safe working conditions and land and education reform.
“Today we pay homage to the unsung heroes of that day, the founding members of the Workers League – Mr. Thomas Manchester (President); W.A.H Seaton (Vice-President); J.L. Harney (Treasurer) and J.W. Blackette (Secretary), J.Matthew Sebastian and Joseph Nathan (executive floor members),”
Dr Drew asked for a minute’s silence in reverence as the nation reflects upon their collective work, their triumphs, their joint accomplishments and in memory of the blood that was shed, their pain and their suffering to pave a pathway towards the creation of a better nation and a better world for future generations.
He also reflected on some who have made a contribution over the 90 years. These included The Rt. Excellencies Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw; C.A. Paul Southwell, J N France, Sir Milton Allen, Edgar Challenger, Patsy Allers, Ada Mae Williams, Clarence Fitzroy Bryant, Isa Bradley, Sir Lee Llewellyn Moore, E. St. John Payne, Fidel O’Flaherty, Sir Cuthbert Sebastian and Anne Liburd.
Dr Drew also took the opportunity to pay tribute to former national political leader and current Leader of the Opposition, The Right Hon Dr Denzil L Douglas for his ” 32-year contribution in providing leadership to our country and to our Party.”
He praised them for their sacrifices and decades in service to the Labour movement.
“Through the lives of these ordinary men and women – sugar workers, machine shop engineers, teachers, doctors and lawyers, our Creator was able to achieve in a matter of only a few decades an extraordinary feat –
breaking the back of centuries of injustice, brutality, atrocity and oppression,” said Dr Drew.
He reminded the congregation and those following the service on social media that the The St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party and the Labour Movement have always fought for and will continue to fight for the good of all the people.
“The people’s agenda has always been our agenda. We are the political and legislative expression of the highest ideals and aspirations of our people. Our movement was built on the power of the people, and we will continue to advance, we will continue to transform and we will continue to progress down through the ages for centuries to come building always on the power of the people,” said Dr Drew.
He listed several of the achievements of the the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party and the Labour Movement in the 90-year journey.
“The SKNLP brought to our people worker’s rights such as the 40-hour work week, increased minimum wages.
Furthermore, the newly elected leader of the St Kitts and Nevis Labour Party stated shared the current agenda’s of SKNLP:
- Social Security and severance pay
- Political rights and freedoms such as adult suffrage which gave all eligible persons the right to vote and elect their representatives to the law making body
- Affordable housing through the Central Housing Authority, now the National Housing Corporation
- Universal free education from primary to secondary level
- Quality health care and health services with health centres all around St Kitts and Nevis,” said Dr Drew.
He also listed affordable access to tertiary education where almost every household can boast of a university-educated relatives and other institutions of people’s empowerment through institutions like the
St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank which is one of the most successful banking institutions in the OECS and the Caribbean, the Development Bank, previously the Development Finance Corporation and it was the Labour Party that rebranded the Citizenship by Investment Programme and created the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF).
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
