As a society whose sons and daughters are the descendants of slaves we should never be involved in the enslavement of other people. Neither should we condone it in any form. In light of what our forebears went through we should not fail to condemn slavery wherever it rears its ugly head.

At emancipation, on 1st August 1834, some 2,354 Anguillians won their freedom. They were enslaved by the English who made them toil on their sugar plantations and treated them like animals and not humans. After emancipation, and at a time when the sugar industry here had collapsed, the English left our people to fend for themselves, caring not whether they lived or died. Many died. Those who lived remained here and endured many hardships so that we who followed could have a place to call home.

Up to the latter quarter of the twentieth century the Anguillian people, the descendants of slaves, continued to build their island all by themselves. Today, it shows signs of growth and prosperity and we cannot allow entities like Carillion Construction, a UK company, to reintroduce anything resembling slavery to our shores by means of the importation of cheap labour from India.

I was strongly opposed to the importation of labour from the Far East, from countries like China and India, preferring instead Caribbean labour. I felt that we were making a mistake and I was cursed for so writing. However, now that the Indians have been brought in I support their right for protection under the Anguilla Constitution. I support their right to be treated fairly and with human dignity and respect. And yer know something? Ah getting curse again!

The strike by the Indian workers against their terms of employment at the Viceroy project has exposed the existence of conditions resembling slavery. They live in overcrowded accommodation. They complain of poor water and food (no fruits and vegetables; eggs and chicken once a week), lack of proper medical care, no leisure time, a 12-hour work-day and extremely low wages of about US$180.00 per month. In comparison with wages paid locally, some Anguillian workers are paid US$120.00 per day (of 8 hours) while some Indians are paid US$6.00 per day (of 12 hours). To look at it another way, some Anguillians work for US$15.00 per hour while some Indians for about US 50 cents per hour.

Their low wages explain in part why the Indians cannot afford to buy even a coke at a local supermarket. I have heard of many instances where groups of four or more of them were seen putting money together to buy a coke and sharing it: each man taking a mouthful.

It is my understanding that their compensation packages are inclusive of housing, food and return passages. Even so, what they are being paid is ridiculously low, disgraceful and demeaning. Claudel Romney had warned the House of Assembly on 27th May 2003 that “large entities do not have a social conscience.” So true! Right now Anguilla’s economy is controlled by a few large foreign entities whose primary aim is the rape of our island’s resources. They know of nothing called a social conscience.

It was Carillion’s lack of a social conscience which caused the Indians to strike and the Anguillian people to turn out in huge numbers in support. (I will elaborate on that later.) When the strike action first started on 26th and 27th June the Anguillians kept vigil with the Indians, braving the scorching sun in the day and the chilling winds at night. They fed them. Provided food and water. Set up portable latrines and tents to shelter them from the sun and rain. But not only that. Four young, vibrant, no-nonsense Anguillian lawyers, Josephine Gumbs-Connor, Lolita Richardson, Paulette Harrigan and Joyce Kentish, volunteered to provide them with legal advice, free of cost, and to negotiate on their behalf, also free of cost, better terms and conditions of employment.

Agreement in that regard was reached on Tuesday 3rd July after the Indians had marched to the Valley for a second time. (Incidentally, the arrest of Percy Thomas, Quincy Gumbs and Dwayne Duncan, all supporters of the Indians’ cause, was most unfortunate. The issues surrounding their arrests are now before our courts.)

Following extensive discussions, involving all parties concerned, agreement was reached on a 100 percent pay increase for all lower paid workers. The resolution process was slow firstly because of Carillion’s intransigence; and secondly because Carillion seemed to have had, at an early stage in the crisis, Government in its camp. Actually, while some members of Government were advocating sending the workers back to India, Kenneth Harrigan said no. He was adamant that they were underpaid and supported their cause to the fullest. Kenneth has long been known as a Minister with a caring heart. To quote David Carty (1994): “Kenneth is a man who is full of love . . . He is so full of love that I don’t know what di hell would happen if he was a woman.”

That aside, it was only when Government came to the realisation that the Anguillians’ support for the Indian cause was determined, extensive, strong and unbreakable that it decided to exert pressure on Carillion to meet the demands of the Indian workers.

Having said that, it needs to be stressed that there were two main reasons for our show of support for the Indians. Firstly, as descendants of slaves we could not allow what appeared to be the reintroduction of slavery to our shores. We could not condone these kinds of conditions of employment in 2007 when we are celebrating the two hundredth anniversary of the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade. Slavery was and is a curse. Our ancestors were brutalised by it and we could not sit idly by and allow the Indians on our soil to be subjected to any treatment which resembled it. Rev Joseph Lloyd, of the Methodist Church, reflected on the bitter experiences of our forefathers when he called one of the radio talk shows to express support for the Indians’ cause. He was condemnatory of their treatment at the hands of Carillion.

Condemnation also came from the Anguilla Pastoral Association by way of a Press Release: “. . . As an evangelical body we stand in great dismay and embarrassment over the treatment of the Indian workers at the Viceroy construction project. We regard the conditions under which these men work to be a blatant violation of civil justice and human rights . . . [and] we must stand vehemently against treatment of this nature . . . ”

One of our labour organisations which threw its support behind the Indians was the Anguilla Teachers’ Union (ATU) which expressed, among other things, concern “about the unsatisfactory working conditions that our brothers of Indian descent are forced to endure.”

The second reason why the Anguillian people supported the Indians had to do with their own survival in their own country. They realised that because foreign investors were given a free hand to pay ‘slave wages’ to imported workers, the time was not far off when Anguillians themselves would be paid similarly and would find themselves out of jobs if they refuse to work for ‘slave wages’. Indeed, if foreign investors are allowed to pay ‘slave wages’ to imported workers, this could lead eventually to the suppression of wages generally to the detriment of Anguillian workers. The effects of this on the quality of their lives are unthinkable.

A classic case study of the frightful consequences of our over-dependence on foreign labour is the Viceroy project. (I admit that my figures may be off a bit.) The total cost of the project, which is the beneficiary of substantial duty free concessions, is some US$240 million. Some 400 workers are engaged in its construction and, apparently, less than 10 of them are Anguillians. That smells. How come our Government allowed Viceroy to get away with that, puzzles me because it (Government) has been saying all along that it was developing Anguilla for Anguillians – to create jobs for Anguillians. If that was its intention then Government needs to tell its people why Viceroy is being treated differently. Believe me, it is scandalous that in the construction of a project of such magnitude less than 10 Anguillians find employment there.

Having said that, I want to make the point that the exposure of labour malpractices by Carillion has, among other things, brought to our attention that all is not well on our labour scene. Of course, the construction section is booming but a significant part of it is dominated by ‘slave labour’. Additionally, the Indian workers’ issue has brought to our attention that there are certain development projects which do not employ local labour – that their labour requirements are reserved for low paid foreign workers only.

The fact that this sort of thing is happening in Anguilla suggests that foreign investors have tremendous influence over Government and its decision-making processes. It makes people think that Government is the servant of big business rather than the servant of the people. As a matter fact, in recent weeks, many people on the radio talk shows, and all across the island, are of the strong view that Government is the tool of foreign business – that Government has been bought out by foreign business. I hope to God that they are wrong because that would spell disaster for this wonderful country of ours.

Whatever the true situation, Government has emerged from the events surrounding the labour issue at Viceroy with a nasty face. Also, the coming to light of the deplorable terms and conditions of service of the Indian workers highlights the extent to which Government still operates in secrecy. It is yet to cultivate a culture of openness – of transparency – in the conduct of public business. Further, its reputation for truthfulness and honesty has struck an all time low.

Most certainly, the past two weeks were disastrous for Government. And I say to Government, when your back is against the wall your next step is forward. In this regard you got to rethink your association with foreign business; and if it is a case of ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’ then you got to bring it to a screeching halt because such an association is not in the best interest of the people. You were elected to serve the people, not foreign business.

Your next step forward calls for revisiting the Viceroy project so that Anguillians could benefit from its construction – could earn a living from it. If hardly an Anguillian works there then what is the purpose of having the project? In my view Carillion portrays an image of a company that should not be doing business in Anguilla. A youngster told me recently that whenever he hears the word Carillion he feels like vomiting.

Your next step forward calls also for the establishment of a minimum wage for Anguilla. And for bringing an end to the abuse of Anguillian workers by Anguillian employers some of whom continue to pay ‘slave wages’.

While I am making suggestions for immediate improvements in the governance of our island, and for solutions to problems confronting us, there are growing numbers of people who are calling for Government’s resignation with immediate effect. But I have a problem with their call. Why? Because they do not have a slate of candidates ready to contest elections, if elections were called tomorrow. Furthermore, the traditional opposition parties are so badly splintered that they are in no position to contest elections and win. The United Front would pee all over them and I could imagine Bunton enjoying that.
Frankly speaking, any meaningful plans to unseat the United Front must involve laying the groundwork now for the 2010 elections. They call for institutional building and proper organisation: the setting up of constituency cells or groupings, identification of suitable candidates, formulation of programmes and manifestoes and meet the people campaigns. Also, the building of bridges between all those in opposition to Government. The time presently being spent on calling on the Government to resign, which it will not do, would be best spent on doing the aforementioned inclusive of a programme of political education.

All in all, we cannot deny that Anguilla is going through difficult times. In this regard, I ask that you join me in prayer. Not the Lord’s Prayer, but the Weekes’ Prayer. The prayer which Rev Cecil Weekes delivered, at the Webster Park on 30th May, at the official ceremony marking the 40th Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution. Join me:
“. . . Lest we forget, and be deceived, as Esau was, into giving up his birthright for a ‘bowl of soup’; lest we forget and be likewise deceived into giving up the hard-won independence, freedom and the attendant privileges, to those intent on dispossessing us of those very things Anguillians suffered and struggled for and passed on to us (our land, our culture and privileges) for ‘bowls of soup’.

“Therefore, Sovereign Lord, we bring before your throne those elected to govern and legislate the affairs of this island, both Government and Opposition . . . and all civil servants: ‘Give to each of them integrity and strength of character, dedication to the true interests of this island, and a discerning spirit to recognise the subtleties of the ‘Jacobs’ who persistently approach them for favours. Give to them the moral strength to resolutely stand against all attempts at corruption and bribery...”

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