VETERAN trade unionist and politician Hanif Brown died on Wednesday at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Morant Bay, St Thomas.

Brown, who was 62 years old, had been ill for some time, limiting his activities as an organiser and island supervisor for the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU). He was also a Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor for both the Bath and White Horses parish council divisions, and mayor of Morant Bay between 2007 and 2012.

A robust trade unionist, Brown had three children, including Ardenne High School Spelling Bee champion Hanif Jr, who won the national title in 2011, and represented Jamaica at the US Scripps National Spelling Bee in the United States that year. He eventually succeeded his teacher, Glen Archer, to become coach of the Ardenne team.

Brown was a close confidante of then BITU Vice-President Pearnel Charles, and greatly assisted Charles in his election as MP for St Thomas Eastern in 1980. He was made an island supervisor for the BITU in the sugar cane and banana growing belts, after joining the union in 1999.

He represented the Bath Division between 1981 and 1990, and then White Horses Division between 2007 and 2012, while serving as mayor of Morant Bay.

In a release yesterday, president of the BITU Senator Kavan Gayle remembered Brown as “a consummate trade unionist”.

He said that Brown was committed to the cause of workers’ rights, and was also a relentless soldier in pursuit of improving the terms and conditions of employees in the agricultural sector, especially in the sugar and bananas industries where he dedicated most of his energies.

“He was also our flag bearer serving on a regional union committee, the International Union of Food – a global union representing agriculture. He will be sadly missed and the union extends sincerest and deepest condolences to the family of this stalwart of the trade union movement,” Senator Gayle said.

— Balford Henry