NUPW mourns Joe Goddard

The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), grappling with the loss of two successive general secretaries, on Thursday paid tribute to former leader Joseph Goddard who died just weeks after his successor.

Goddard, who led the NUPW for three decades from 1977 to 2007, died on Wednesday, aged 82. Dennis Clarke, who succeeded Goddard as general secretary, died on August 1.

NUPW Deputy General Secretary Wayne Walrond remembered Goddard as a “visionary leader and an effective representative of workers”.

In a statement, Walrond highlighted Goddard’s significant achievements during his tenure, including “an agreement reached between the Government of Barbados and the NUPW on the processing of personal grievances, the introduction of a staff pension scheme in 1980, [and] the formation of a youth arm in 1980”.

Walrond also noted the establishment of the Public Workers Academy in 1985 under Goddard’s leadership.

“Goddard was a vigorous advocate for workers’ rights. He was well researched, and adopted a meticulous approach in being an effective representative of workers,” Walrond said. “Goddard is immortalised by the indelible contribution he has made to the labour movement, locally, regionally and internationally. He was indeed a veteran stalwart and a champion of [the] workers’ cause.”

Goddard was actively involved in the regional labour movement, serving as the general secretary of the Caribbean Public Services Association (CPSA) from 1982 to 1995 and as a trustee of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) since 1983. At home, his influence extended to the umbrella Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) where he was a board member.

The NUPW extended “sincerest condolences” to Goddard’s wife Nadine, his children Tanya and Bradley, and “the entire family circle and loved ones”.