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Sir Alexander Bustamante
William Alexander Bustamante (1884-1977) was Jamaica's first Prime Minister. He campaigned for workers' rights, and he was imprisoned for standing up for his beliefs. He founded the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union [BITU], the first trade union in Jamaica. Later he founded the Jamaica Labour Party [JLP]. Son of an Irish planter named Robert Constantine Clarke and a coloured Jamaican woman , Mary Clarke. He was registered William Alexander Clarke but later changed his name by deed poll. Bustamante attended Primary school at Cacoon and Dalmally and also did private studies.
Life and History
William Alexander Bustamante left Jamaica in 1905 and lived in countries such as Cuba, Panama and the USA. On his return to Jamaica in the mid-1930s he set up a money lending business which was very successful. It was during this time that he became fully aware of the abject poverty of the mass of the people.
Between 1934-1938 Bustamante did not hesitate to expose these extremely bad social and economic conditions in the numerous letters he wrote to "The Daily Gleaner" and occasionally to British newspapers.
Bustamante felt that he was destined to lead his country some day. At fifty (50) years of age, he had reached a point in life where he felt he had developed to lead his country forward to a better way of living.
Between 1935-1937 he was involved in every activity which highlighted the terrible plight of the majority of the population. For example, between 1935-1936 he carried out an "anti-water metre protest", and in January 1937 he intervened in a strike at Serge Island Estate, offering his services as a mediator. Later in 1937 he became treasurer of the Jamaica Workers and Tradesmen Union, founded in 1936 by AGS Coombs.
Bustamante's activities were not confired only to the people of Jamaica. He had earlier identified with the workers' cause with regard to disturbances in Trinidad, Barbados and other West Indian islands in the 1930's. Bustmante and AGS Coombs travelled around the country promoting their union and gave hope to struggling workers.
Bustamante was aware of the leadership vacancy and he was ready to fill it. As a result of his wide travels and natural intelligence, he had gained much experience in a variety of occupations. In addition he had the power to hold an audience spellbound. His towering height, bushy hair and his dramatic gestures were important elements, which drew people to him. He was able to relate to the people right at their level. In 1938 when he was attacked by the "Jamaica Standard" newspaper, Bustmante told a crowd of 2,000 at North Parade, I want the 'Standard' to know that I represent the lower and middle-class people in Jamaica; they have confidence in me."
It was this confidence which took him to Frome after the disturbances that had left six dead, 50 wounded and 89 charged with rioting. The disturbances at Frome were also the start of a series of strikes and demonstrations in which Bustmante stamped his name indelibly as the people's champion. Wherever there were labour problems throughout Jamaica he was with the workers.
Bustamante claimed that Britain, the "Mother Country", was not aware of the state of affairs in Jamaica, because he was badly informed or mis-informed by Governor Denham. The labour leader denounced Denham at a meeting attended by over 700 persons at the Parade on May 4, 1938. In May 1938 at Heroes Park, Bustamante told a crowd, "Long live the king, but Denham must go." He told his audience that the Government was planning to arrest him because he had exposed the evils in Jamaica to the British parliament. On May 23, 1938 Kingston port workers supported a strike called by Bustamante. Their demand was for higher wages. The following day Bustamante addressed a large meeting at the corner of Duke and Harbour streets. He told the people that what was taking place in Jamaica was a "mental revolution." They had now become conscious of how they had been exploited all these years, and how little or nothing was done to alleviate their condition. The Jamaican people were no longer prepared to believe that there was no better for them.
They recognised that they had remained silent for too long and allowed themselves to almost deteriorate into passive acceptance of their condition. These very people through the instrumentality of leaders like Bustmante and Norman Manley finally realised that they could emancipate themselves from their economic and political bondage.
Bustamante and St William Grant addressed workers at rallies in May 1938. At one of these rallies when the Security Forces threatened "to open fire" on the crowd, Bustamante unbuttoned his shirt, thrust his chest forward and invited the soldiers to leave the people alone and shoot him. On that memorable day Marcus Garvey's words of "leadership means everything - pain, blood death", and "men who are in earnest are not afraid of consequences", must have sounded loud and clear to Bustamante. In addressing subsequent rallies Bustamante told his followers that there were people in the society who were clamouring for his arrest, but they should be careful. He assured his followers that he was above his detractors, and while they want to live forever, he was prepared to die any day. The crowd was always very friendly towards Bustamante. He told them that he was more powerful than the governor. They sang, "We will follow Bustamante till we die."
