Tubal Uriah Butler
 |
"Chief Servant" Butler |
Tubal Uriah "Buzz" Butler (
1897-
1977), was a
Grenadian-born preacher and labour leader in
Trinidad and Tobago. He is best known for leading a series of labour riots between
June 19 and
July 6,
1937 and for forming a series of personalist political parties (the
British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party, the
Butler Home Rule Party and finally the
Butler Party) that focused its platform on the improvement of the working class.
Butler first came to prominence in
1935 when he led a
"hunger march" from the oilfields to
Port of Spain. In
1936 he was expelled from the
Trinidad Labour Party for his "extremist tendencies". He then formed the
British Empire Citizens' and Workers' Home Rule Party. On
June 19 1937, a strike in protest of working conditions, wages, racism and exploitation began in the oilfields in the southern Trinidad. Police attempted to arrest Butler as he addressed a meeting in
Fyzabad. His supporters prevented the police from doing so and Charlie King, a policeman was killed. The
Labour riots of 1937 resulted in turmoil throughout the oilfields. When strikes spread to the
sugar factories, the Colonial government responded by issuing an arrest warrant for Butler. Butler went into hiding and the colonial authorities were unble to locate him. He stayed in contact with the authorities through
Adrian Cola Rienzi and although he was promised safe passage by the colonial authorities to testify at a commission of enquiry into the events of June 1937, he was arrested by the colonial government when he emerged to do so.
Butler was imprisoned from
September 9,
1937 to May
1939. With the outbreak of
World War II in September, 1939, Butler was re-arrested and detained for the duration of the war. After release from prison Butler formed the
Butler Home Rule Party, which later became the
Butler Party. The Butler Party which captured the largest block of seats in the
Legislative Council, but the Governor chose to exclude Butler and instead
Albert Gomes became the first
Chief Minister.
In the
1956 General Elections the Butler Party only won two seats. Butler, hero of the
Afro-Trinidadian working class was effectively dispossessed by
Eric Williams and the
People's National Movement.
Butler is looked upon as the founding father of the
Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) and the labour movement and is honoured with a statue in Fyzabad. He was awarded the
Trinity Cross, the nation's highest honour, in
1970.
* Malik, Yogendra K. 1971.
East Indians in Trinidad.
Oxford University Press. ISBN 019218198X
* Meighoo, Kirk. 2003.
Politics in a Half Made Society: Trinidad and Tobago, 1925-2002 ISBN 1558763066
