The trade union movement was on Friday mourning the loss of Dennis Clarke, former general secretary of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), who died on Thursday.
Clarke, a recipient of the Barbados Service Star for his contribution to trade unionism, was remembered as a tireless advocate for workers’ rights and a skilled negotiator.
Walter Maloney, a past president of the NUPW and former colleague of Clarke’s, told Barbados TODAY: “When it came to defending workers, Dennis made certain he would leave no stone unturned.” Maloney emphasised Clarke’s dedication, describing him as “a workaholic dedicated to seeing problems through to their conclusion”.
Clarke served in various roles at the NUPW from the 1980s until his retirement in 2014, holding the post of general secretary from August 1, 2007 to October 31, 2014. He was remembered for making significant contributions to strengthening the union and supporting workers.
“Whether he was representing the highest paid person in the public service or the lowest-paid, his attitude and ethos towards that were always the same,” Maloney recalled. “He was well respected within the public service. Not only in membership, but indeed with the permanent secretaries, deputies, permanent secretaries, persons who were managers of public, and the state-owned enterprises (SoEs) as well.”
Current NUPW General Secretary Richard Greene praised Clarke’s negotiation skills, noting his successful handling of major transitions within the public service.
“Brother Dennis developed his competence in worker representation, specialising in the area of occupational safety and health, working closely with local and regional institutions in support of ensuring workers had a safe and healthy place of work,” Greene said.
He added: “He was outstanding in the area of individual and collective grievance handling, with successful management of several worker disputes. It was because of his skills in grievance handling that he developed a reputation for being a fair yet forthright, conciliatory yet fearless champion of workers in the public service.”
Minister of Labour Colin Jordan described Clarke’s passing as a loss for both Barbados and the Caribbean.
“He seemed to thrive on being able to argue and prove his point. He believed in advancing the cause of workers in Barbados, and particularly in advancing the cause of workers employed by the government,” Jordan said.
The minister highlighted Clarke’s commitment to the regional trade union movement, noting his involvement in the Caribbean Public Service Association and his authorship of a book on Caribbean public service unionism. “His legacy will live on in his work and through that book,” Jordan remarked.
Dennis De Peiza, General Secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), called Clarke’s death a “colossal” loss for the country’s labour movement.
Beyond his union work, Clarke was known for his passion for singing and his dedication to St Luke’s Anglican Church, where he served as a leading chorister and churchwarden. He initiated educational programmes for children whose parents had lost jobs, with Maloney recalling: “He started a programme for them on Sunday mornings where the children could come and be taught for free.”
Maloney shared a poignant memory of Clarke’s impact: “We’ve had many a tussle, we’ve had many a fight, we’ve had many a prime minister, but at the end of the day, all the same one thing. ‘Man, Clarkey, man, yuh fighting muh hard, man, yuh giving muh some trouble, but we gine try and see how we can sort it out.’”
Clarke is survived by wife Beverley, daughter Nicole, son Stephan, and a granddaughter. (RG)
