Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow

December 18, 1884 (age 73)

Georgetown, Demerara-Mahaica, Guyana

He worked at odd jobs before becoming a dockworker. At the time he had some national celebrity as one of the colony’s top sportsmen. In 1906 he was falsely charged with assault during a strike of dockworkers, but was subsequently acquitted. From then on, he took a leadership role in labor organization. Critchlow was one of two leaders to meet with the country’s Chamber of Commerce during January 1917 in the midst of a wave of strikes for increased wages and better working conditions. By January 1918 he became the undisputed leader of waterfront workers. In January 1919 he formed the British Guiana Labor Union (BGLU), which reached a total membership of 7,000 to 9,000 in its first year. It became affiliated with the International Federation of Trade Unions and the Socialist International. Critchlow was the person most responsible for development of the Caribbean labor movement. He helped organize the Guianese and West Indian Federation of Trade Unions and Labour Parties which eventually evolved into the Caribbean Labour Congress (CLC) in 1945. In 1930 Critchlow began to call on workers to struggle to overthrow capitalism and to mobilize for socialist reconstruction. He visited the Soviet Union in 1932 and, on his return, for some time praised the social and political order that he had observed in the Soviet Union and advocated adoption of some of that country’s programs in the West Indies. The trade union movement was officially recognized in 1940 and was provided with political representation in 1943 when Critchlow and fellow unionist Ayube Edun were nominated to the Legislative Council as trade union representatives. In 1941 Critchlow became the first secretary of the newly formed Trades Union Council, an umbrella organization of trade unions. He was finally ousted from control of the BGLU by more radical elements in the early 1950s.

Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow Edit Profile

politician

Background

Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow was born in Georgetown on 18 December 1884. He was son of a wharf foreman.

Education

He left primary school at the age of 14, one year before graduation.

Career

He worked at odd jobs before becoming a dockworker. At the time he had some national celebrity as one of the colony’s top sportsmen. In 1906 he was falsely charged with assault during a strike of dockworkers, but was subsequently acquitted. From then on, he took a leadership role in labor organization.

Critchlow was one of two leaders to meet with the country’s Chamber of Commerce during January 1917 in the midst of a wave of strikes for increased wages and better working conditions. By January 1918 he became the undisputed leader of waterfront workers. In January 1919 he formed the British Guiana Labor Union (BGLU), which reached a total membership of 7,000 to 9,000 in its first year. It became affiliated with the International Federation of Trade Unions and the Socialist International.

Critchlow was the person most responsible for development of the Caribbean labor movement. He helped organize the Guianese and West Indian Federation of Trade Unions and Labour Parties which eventually evolved into the Caribbean Labour Congress (CLC) in 1945.

In 1930 Critchlow began to call on workers to struggle to overthrow capitalism and to mobilize for socialist reconstruction. He visited the Soviet Union in 1932 and, on his return, for some time praised the social and political order that he had observed in the Soviet Union and advocated adoption of some of that country’s programs in the West Indies.

The trade union movement was officially recognized in 1940 and was provided with political representation in 1943 when Critchlow and fellow unionist Ayube Edun were nominated to the Legislative Council as trade union representatives. In 1941 Critchlow became the first secretary of the newly formed Trades Union Council, an umbrella organization of trade unions. He was finally ousted from control of the BGLU by more radical elements in the early 1950s.

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