James Manswell
Encyclopedia
James Isaac Alexander Manswell (2 June 1927 - 18 September 2006), was born in Brighton La Brea
, Trinidad and Tobago
. He briefly entered the teaching profession in 1945 before joining the Civil Service on 14 July 1946 as a 2nd Class Clerk at the Port of Spain
Magistracy. In 1950 he was elected Secretary of the Staff Side of the Magistracy Division of the Civil Service and followed that in 1955 by being elected to the Executive of the Civil Service Association
(CSA) representing the Eastern Counties.
He became the Assistant Secretary of the CSA in 1960 at a time when Hugh Harris was the President and O. E. Morle the Secretary. The CSA appointed Manswell as it first full-time General Secretary in 1961.
In addition to his work for the CSA, he was also General Secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Labour Congress and later its President. He was part of the workers delegation to the International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organisation representing the Labour Congress in 1978 and on fourteen subsequent occasions. He was nominated by the Labour Congress to a number of State Boards including the T&T Mortgage Finance Company and the Investment Committee of the National Insurance Board.
In 1962 Manswell was one of the members of Prime Minister Eric Williams
delegation to the Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference as the nominee of the Labour Congress.
The continued development of the CSA saw the organisation purchasing properties in Port of Spain, including the current Head Office in Abercromby
Street, Port of Spain, in 1965.
On being given a leave of absence from the Union in 1968, he successfully gained a Diploma of Social Studies at Oxford University and went on to complete the first year examination of the LLB Law Degree. His studies were interrupted by the death of the Union's President, Milton Adams, and in 1970 he returned to Trinidad and Tobago and his post in the Union.
He was instrumental in the formation of the Caribbean Public Services Association
, of which he became the General Secretary in August 1970 – a position he held until his retirement from the Union in 1981.
He was directly responsible for the formation of the Public Service Credit Union
which survives to this day.
Sir Ellis Clarke
, then the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, appointed Manswell as an Independent Senator
in 1976 and he remained in the Senate until his retirement from the Union.
He retired from the Public Services Association
(the successor to the CSA) in 1981 having reached the position of First Executive President. However, he became a consultant to the Union in 1997 representing them in a matter in the Industrial Court as late as 2006.
La Brea
La Brea is Spanish for "the tar" or "the tar pits") and may refer to:* La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California* La Brea, Trinidad and Tobago, home to the Pitch Lake* La Brea District in Peru...
, Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. He briefly entered the teaching profession in 1945 before joining the Civil Service on 14 July 1946 as a 2nd Class Clerk at the Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
Magistracy. In 1950 he was elected Secretary of the Staff Side of the Magistracy Division of the Civil Service and followed that in 1955 by being elected to the Executive of the Civil Service Association
Civil Service Association
The Civil Service Association is a former trade union in Trinidad and Tobago which changed its name in 1971 to the Public Services Association...
(CSA) representing the Eastern Counties.
He became the Assistant Secretary of the CSA in 1960 at a time when Hugh Harris was the President and O. E. Morle the Secretary. The CSA appointed Manswell as it first full-time General Secretary in 1961.
In addition to his work for the CSA, he was also General Secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Labour Congress and later its President. He was part of the workers delegation to the International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organisation representing the Labour Congress in 1978 and on fourteen subsequent occasions. He was nominated by the Labour Congress to a number of State Boards including the T&T Mortgage Finance Company and the Investment Committee of the National Insurance Board.
In 1962 Manswell was one of the members of Prime Minister Eric Williams
Eric Williams
Eric Eustace Williams served as the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. He served from 1956 until his death in 1981. He was also a noted Caribbean historian, and is widely regarded as "The Father of The Nation."...
delegation to the Commonwealth Prime Ministers Conference as the nominee of the Labour Congress.
The continued development of the CSA saw the organisation purchasing properties in Port of Spain, including the current Head Office in Abercromby
Abercromby
-Surname:*Andrew Abercromby , NASA biomedical engineer*James Abercromby, 1st Baron Dunfermline , British politician and son of Ralph Abercromby*John Abercromby , victim of the Scottish Reformation...
Street, Port of Spain, in 1965.
On being given a leave of absence from the Union in 1968, he successfully gained a Diploma of Social Studies at Oxford University and went on to complete the first year examination of the LLB Law Degree. His studies were interrupted by the death of the Union's President, Milton Adams, and in 1970 he returned to Trinidad and Tobago and his post in the Union.
He was instrumental in the formation of the Caribbean Public Services Association
Caribbean Public Services Association
The Caribbean Public Services Association is a trade union Federation in the Caribbean which links public sector unions in the region.-See also:* List of trade unions...
, of which he became the General Secretary in August 1970 – a position he held until his retirement from the Union in 1981.
He was directly responsible for the formation of the Public Service Credit Union
Credit union
A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...
which survives to this day.
Sir Ellis Clarke
Ellis Clarke
Sir Ellis Emmanuel Innocent Clarke, TC, GCMG was the second and last Governor-General of Trinidad and Tobago and the first President of Trinidad and Tobago. Clarke was one of the main architects of Trinidad and Tobago's 1962 Independence constitution.Clarke attended Saint Mary's College, winning...
, then the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, appointed Manswell as an Independent Senator
Senate of Trinidad and Tobago
The Senate of Trinidad and Tobago is the appointed Upper House of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. The Senate sits in the Red House in Port of Spain...
in 1976 and he remained in the Senate until his retirement from the Union.
He retired from the Public Services Association
Public Services Association
The Public Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago is a trade union in Trinidad and Tobago. It was originally known as the Civil Service Association but changed its name in 1971....
(the successor to the CSA) in 1981 having reached the position of First Executive President. However, he became a consultant to the Union in 1997 representing them in a matter in the Industrial Court as late as 2006.