A leader of destiny

By Dr Selwyn R. Cudjoe
May 16, 2022

PART II

“Trade Union Movement in Trinidad owes Mr Rienzi a great debt of gratitude and particularly the Oil and Sugar Unions which he pioneered until he left for the Civil Service.”

—John Rojas, former

Leader of the OWTU

Dr. Selwyn R. CudjoeAlthough Adrian Cola Rienzi struggled to achieve self-government at home and to make working people aware of their rights, he still found time to participate in the revival of Caribbean trade unionism after it lapsed in 1926. Brinsley Samaroo, the author of Adrian Cola Rienzi: The Life and Times of an Indo-Caribbean Progressive, noted that Hubert Critchlow convened the first Caribbean trade union conference “to coordinate the activities of the various trade unions towards the overall improvement of the Caribbean workers”.
Continue reading A leader of destiny

Full force for merchants of death

By Raffique Shah
May 16, 2022

Raffique ShahIt was the lure of the rifle that probably made up my mind for me. I enlisted in the Trinidad and Tobago Cadet Corps established at Presentation College, Chaguanas, in 1959. I was all of 13 years old, and I was eager to get on with “the gun”. It would take several months’ training—drills, map reading, more drills—before we eager beavers were allowed to touch the weapon.
Continue reading Full force for merchants of death