General Strike (Hansard, 30 January 1958)

§ 17. Mr. Frank Allaun
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reply has been given by the Government of the Bahamas to the request of the taxi-drivers' union that an independent chairman be appointed for an arbitration on the general strike.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
Before the strike, agreement had been reached in the dispute between the Bahamas Taxi-Cab Union—an association of taxi owners and drivers—and the tour companies on 19 of the 20 points under dispute. At the request of the parties, who agreed to accept his choice, the Governor named a three-man Arbitral Tribunal which he was prepared to appoint to settle this one outstanding matter. The Taxi-Cab Union then raised objections to the persons nominated and requested that the Governor-in-Council should appoint a Commission of Inquiry. Before this proposal could be considered by the Governor-in-Council the union called for a strike of hotel employees, which led to the general strike. The Governor is prepared to set up a Tribunal, with of course an independent chairman, if the parties will agree on the points to be arbitrated and to accept the findings.

§ Mr. Allaun
Does the Minister know whether the strike has ended today, and if so, on what terms? Will the proposed transport authority prohibit the colour bar, and is it not true, although the Minister has denied it on several occasions in this House, that a colour bar does exist in the Bahamas? Also, was not the origin of the strike the fact that the taxi-drivers were being driven out of the one well-paid job which the colour bar had not yet entered?

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
I will answer general Questions afterwards on the strike itself.

§ 19. Mr. Frank Allaun
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies for what reasons the British frigate "Ulster" was sent to the Bahamas; and if he will make a statement.

§ 20. Mr. J. Hynd
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will make a statement on the situation arising from the general strike at Nassau.

§ 23. Mr. Callaghan
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement about the position arising out of the strike in the Bahamas.

§ 33. Mr. J. Johnson
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he is aware of the deteriorating situation in the Bahamas; and whether he will appoint a Commission of Inquiry to investigate conditions upon the islands.

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
The strike in the Bahamas originated from a dispute between two conflicting commercial interests and not from one between employers and employees. Stoppages of work by employees in public and private services, including the hotels, have since taken place. There has been no violence or disorder but as a precaution a company of troops has been flown in from Jamaica. This has provided much needed relief for the local police. H.M.S. "Ulster" went to Nassau for the purpose of providing technicians to maintain essential services. Utilities such as electricity and water have continued uninterrupted. Meetings have been taking place between representatives of the parties involved under impartial chairmanship. The Governor has been making continuous efforts to get the parties concerned to effect a settlement and, although I have no details as yet, I am glad to say that the strike is ending today.
495 The Progressive Liberal Party has asked me to appoint a Royal Commission. I feel that far-reaching action of this kind can best be considered when we are properly over the immediate dispute and the local atmosphere is calmer. I am not in a position to make a statement on this point today.

§ Mr. Allaun
May I repeat the question I asked a few moments ago and ask, in particular, if the colour bar did not lead to the exclusion of coloured men from this job? Would the right hon. Gentleman himself support the setting up of a Royal Commission, which is recommended not only by the body mentioned but also by the Caribbean representative of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions?

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
I have already dealt with that in my answer.

§ Mr. J. Hynd
Since the Minister himself used the formula that this dispute was originally between two commercial interests and not between workers and employers, does not the fact that the strike was supported by all the organised workers in the Colony indicate that this goes very much deeper? Does he not realise, therefore, that it is high time we looked into the entire question of the legal recognition of trade unions in that territory? Will he give serious consideration to the question of appointing a Royal Commission or some other form of official inquiry into the question of trade union status, race relations and a new constitution giving more equitable representation in the Assembly?

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
I very much agree that some of the considerations which the hon. Member has advanced are very relevant and make a decision one way or the other all the more important. It is because of some of the issues which he mentioned that I would like time and a calmer atmosphere in which to make up my mind.

§ Mr. J. Johnson
Is not the action of the taxi drivers a symptom of deep underlying conditions—bad housing, bad wages, the colour bar, no coloured man on the Executive Council? Does not the constitution need to be considered and ought there not to be a Commission, on the lines of the Elliot Commission 496 to Kenya, with power to ask questions and to take evidence and to prepare a White Paper for the House to examine?

§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd
It would be oversimplifying the matter to dismiss it quite like that. The rights and wrongs in this matter are by no means exclusively on any one side In the talks, agreement was reached on 19 of the 20 issues, which would have led to a large increase in work for the Taxi-Cab Union, nut I am anxious not to anticipate any decision which I may reach by giving off-the-cuff answers today.