Tribute to George Alloyscius Joseph

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A tribute to the late George Alloyscius Joseph former Shop Steward of GRENLEC and past member of the Management Committee of the Grenada Technical and Allied Workers’ Union.

The Grenada Technical and Allied Workers’ Union conveys its deepest condolences to the family friends and co-workers of Cde. George Alloyscius Joseph.
We were indeed shocked by his passing and joined the workers of the Grenada Electricity Services in saluting his memory, his life and time. Cde. George Joseph joined the Electricity Company on August 14, 1978 and became a member of the Union the same time. He rose from the rank of a trainee linesman to linesman 2 where he carried out many supervisory functions.

In 1990 in the throws of a severe and acute internal struggle Cde. Joseph was elected to the new militant Executive which emerged during that period.
In those days of the internal crisis the Management Committee meet frequently and had recently come out of a period when the Union’s bank accounts were frozen and there were attempts to jail the National Executive for a class action contempt against the like of Bro. Herman Mello Peters amongst others.
Cde. Joseph served the Union with great enthusiasm and militant commitment.

It was during the period too when the Union won many battles in defence of the rights of working men and women.
We recall the time when Electricity workers took strike action in support of some 12 temporary workers who were unfairly terminated.
It was that time when a marauding gang of three (3) members of Cabinet stormed the home of President General on Boxing Day and hauled missile of rotten meat in a response to the strike by Electricity workers which came to an end on Christmas Eve that year.

Cde. George Joseph demonstrated his leadership as a Shop Steward at that time. George’s love for the Technical and Allied Workers’ Union can also be measured by the fact that for almost one decade he single handedly prepared the Rice and Peas for the annual May Day celebration.
Those were the days when the Union cooked a whole cow in order to feed his members, supporters and friends who for years have joined the Technical and Allied Workers’ Union May Day fete.
Cde. George ably supported by his wife and children diligently each year when he was not a member of the Management Committee prepared that portion of that May Day meal and you would appreciate how difficult it would have been to prepare such a meal for some one thousand members.

On the job George was a cheerful, discipline and highly motivated worker.
Every response to a task was met with a smile. George always had a smile. He was a dedicated family man and a true patriotic member of the working class.
As President of the Technical and Allied Workers’ Union, I have suffered a personal lost by his passing and I am sure that, that is true for his fellow comrades at the Grenada Electricity Services were he performed his life’s work.

On behalf of the Management Committee, General Council and Rank and File as well as his coworkers and on behalf of the Technical and Allied Workers’ Union we convey our deepest sympathies to his wife Elcia Joseph, his children, relatives and friends.
We share this moment of grief with you and hope that you can find the strength to continue along life’s journey remembering that George made a most worthwhile contribution to the struggle for the advancement of social justice for working men and women.

We salute you Dear Brother, your memory and works shall forever be remember as you have etched a place in the motto of your Union - Defending and Advancing Workers’ Rights.
Forever live your memory George Alloyscius Joseph.