Tubal Uriah Butler- " A leader born to fight"

Tubal Uriah Butler- " A leader born to fight" Statue located in Fyzabad

Every year on June 19, Labour Day is celebrated which commemorates the contributions made towards the fight for workers’ rights as they are today.Tubal Uriah ‘Buzz’ Butler (statue) played a very important role in the freedom of workers and shaping their rights. Issues within the work force such as worker abuse, underpayment for labour, racism, economic depression, an uncomfortable standard of living and even inhumane treatment of the working class were widespread at the time.

Butler Oilfield Riots took place in 1937 and was declared an annual national holiday in 1973, which is termed “Labour Day”. [1]Angry workers were in agreement with Butler’s notion, and hence helped him in his fight. There was even an attempted arrest upon Butler, by Corporal Charlie King, who was off duty at that moment, during a sit-down protest in Fyzabad where the statue can be found today. The angry workers shielded him during this attempted arrest, which was unsuccessful.

Butler was born in Grenada on the 21^st of January, 1897 and died on the 20^th of February 1977, Carnival Sunday of that year. After serving in the First World War in the British West Indian Regiment Butler migrated to Trinidad, under Captain Arthur Cipriani.[2] As he became employed in the oil industry he became involved in the labour movement. It was stated that over 25% of Fyzabad was Grenadian.

In July 1936, he formed his own political party, the British Empire Workers and Citizen Home Rule Party (BEWCHRP). In 1937 he was the leader of several protests that proved to be successful to the development of the labour movement in years to come. Because of the active trade union work done by Butler, his statue is a monument erected at the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union Fyzabad/Forest Reserve branch office.

When this statue is viewed by the public it allows us to have greater appreciation for past heroes such as Butler and the battle he fought to afford us the privileges, and our rights we have today mainly in the workplace.

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[1] "Labour Pioneers Remembered Today." Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : Newsday.co.tt :. June 19, 2014. Accessed March 20, 2016. http://newsday.co.tt/features/0,196500.html.    

[2] Wilder, Ann Elizabeth. "Tubal Uriah 'Buzz' Butler Biography Butlera.html." Tubal Uriah 'Buzz' Butler Biography Butlera.html. Accessed March 20, 2016. http://www.thegrenadarevolutiononline.com/butlera.html.