Veteran trade unionist Erskine LeVere Richards died on Tuesday at the age of 82.And the Barbados Workers Union (BWU) which he served for almost 45 years with distinction said he will be remembered as “a titan in the trade union movement, strong on principle and a fierce defender of workers’ rights”. Richards, a former government worker, held several positions at the BWU, including Island Supervisor/Public Relations Officer, Regional Assistant, Assistant General Secretary, and Assistant Director of Organising. He was well known for his representation of hotel and tourism employees.“He quickly made an impressive mark in the sugar and hotel industries and in the various estates where the Barbados implementation of the Sir Arthur Lewis Programme for the Caribbean – Industrialisation by Invitation led to the recruitment of large numbers of workers. He was best known for his contribution in lifting the standards of training for workers in the hotel industry and the wider tourism sector, the highlight of which came through his spearheading of the annual Hotel Workers’ Week,” the union said in a statement.
