An Overview of the Caribbean Labor Movement

The Caribbean labor movement is a relatively recent movement. The movement has sought to be both progressive and international in terms of its approach to labor, as well as its approach to independence in the Caribbean. Understanding a little bit about the history of the Caribbean labor movement can help to understand where the movement sits today.

The Caribbean labor movement has had origins in the thriving trade union movement, and formed in the mid 1940s. That movement took the form of the Caribbean Labor Congress. Throughout the history of the Caribbean labor movement, that organization has always been the political arm of the movement.

The Caribbean labor movement sought, among other things, to achieve rights for labor over and against the rights of industry and capital. In addition to fighting for the rights of workers however, the Caribbean labor movement also focused on regional sovereignty. In fact, it is largely the Caribbean labor movement that is responsible for the break with the British colonial elements of the mid twentieth century. The movement sought to establish a federation among the Caribbean islands, many of which are rather small.

The Caribbean labor movement lost much of its momentum after world war two. At that time, British imperialism receded from most places in the world including the Caribbean. Without Britain to unite against, many of the smaller movements upon these Caribbean islands just sort of fell by the wayside.

Today, there is a Caribbean labor movement that still seeks justice for workers in the Caribbean. There are organizations, for example, such as CARICOM in the Caribbean community. CARICOM is, in many ways, the spiritual heir to the Caribbean Labor congress. CARICOM was instrumental in standing against US imperialism in the region and has continued to remain progressive and leftist ideas. In fact, CARICOM in many ways leans even further to the left toward full communism.

The biggest question that remains for today when it comes to Caribbean labor movement s is their true usefulness or utility. In the modern economy whether or not trade unions still maintain relevance even in the Caribbean may be a matter for debate. Indeed, it would seem that liberal democracy, backed by capitalism, in many ways made these organizations and movements irrelevant. Time will tell whether the Caribbean labor movement continues to have a life or wither it will indeed fade into the sunset along with many similar labor movements.