Godfather of trade unionism – Rienzi

JEROME TEELUCKSINGH

ON February 23, 1925, Krishna Deonarine (who later changed his name to Adrian Cola Rienzi) wrote a letter to the editor of the Labour Leader, a local publication, informing the readership of a mass meeting held on February 7 at Oriental Hall. The purpose of the meeting was to pass a resolution of protest and to appoint delegates to convey their dissatisfaction to the governor, who failed to appoint Indians in the nominated unofficial section of the Legislative Council.

Deonarine, an Indo-Trinidadian, moved a historic resolution that representation be made to the government demanding the need for more political representation for the Indian community. At this gathering, delegates were appointed to interview the governor and express dissatisfaction with the fact that the appointment of Indians among the unofficial members in the council was overlooked.

This was one of the first bold attempts by an Indian to challenge the political status quo.

A brochure, published in 1993, entitled "From Rienzi to Panday: 50 years of service to the Working People of Trinidad and Tobago 1937-1987," contains an article by Brinsley Samaroo. And Samaroo contended, “Rienzi’s answer to this divide-and-rule tactic was his appeal to African/Indian unity on a class basis…It was this combination of Afro-Indian strength which triggered off the disturbances of 1937 in Trinidad.”

At the founding conference on July 25, 1937, when officers were elected to the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU), a significant event occurred. Elbert Redvers Blades was instrumental in the election of Rienzi as its first president general.

Blades had invited Rienzi to address the meeting and subsequently nominated him as a candidate for the presidency. EF Shuffer, an oil worker, objected to Rienzi’s nomination on the grounds that the position should be filled by an oil worker and not “an outside barrister-at-law.”

Blades disagreed with Shuffer and after a lengthy address, the two other candidates, Caleb Roach and Leslie Nelson, withdrew from the contest.

At this historic conference there were 150 delegates from 15 districts in the oilbelt. Blades would have recognised in Rienzi those radical leadership qualities required to maintain the momentum established by oil workers for better working conditions. Rienzi’s identification with the oil workers and Tubal Uriah Butler’s approval of his role as his mediator during the strike won Rienzi the confidence of oil workers. For the next decade, he would influence politics and trade unionism.

In the 1938 elections, Rienzi had a manifesto which included self-government and universal suffrage. On January 8, 1938, the editorial of the Trinidad Guardian sought to criticise his ranking of self-government on the list: “Mr Rienzi has outlined an eleven-point programme to the electorate. At the bottom of the list he puts self-government and universal suffrage, feeling possibly that it is too impractical a proposal to be given a more prominent place.”

In the electoral battle for the Victoria seat, speakers on Rienzi’s platform endorsed the candidate’s contribution to society. For instance, John Rojas, second vice president of the OWTU, highlighted the fact that Rienzi played an important role in creating peace during the tumultuous 1937 disturbances.

In 1941, Rienzi formed the Socialist Party of Trinidad and Tobago hoping to unite the labour movement. More than a decade later, in March 1956, the American consul general in a despatch to the Department of State (in the US) hinted that Rienzi might be willing to compromise his status within the labour movement: “It has been learned that one of the vacant positions may be filled with a government official. This report may refer to Mr AC Rienzi who is presently serving as a crown counsel and is a former president of the Oilfields Workers Trade Union. According to James A Bain, acting permanent secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Labour and Commerce, he was given his official job to keep him from being a nuisance to the government.”

This suggested that Rienzi was not deserving of his job as crown counsel. And, more importantly, this confidential correspondence exposed the local and foreign officials who were willing to divide the labour movement and neutralise radical voices.

Sahadeo Basdeo described Rienzi as a product of the Caribbean colonial experience” and “a progressive thinker.” Basdeo rightly noted that this socialist trade unionist “…called for the creation of a new Caribbean social order in which the masses should hold the reigns of power.”

In retrospect, the charismatic Rienzi played a crucial role and deserves the title of godfather of trade unionism in TT.