In late February 1939, Bustamante called a general strike. For the first time, the Ministers could now exercise wide responsibility in the management of the internal affairs of the island. Bust of Sir Alexander Bustamante facing forward. Bustamante was commended in 1955 for his public services in Jamaica. Bustamante began participating in trade union activities before 1938 and developed a public reputation as a spokesman of the downtrodden. Michael Norman Manley. The expectation was that both would be complementary arms of a single process: the political arm was to be led by the leading barrister Norman Manley, who launched the avowedly socialist People's National Party in September 1938; while the trade union arm was to be led by Alexander Bustamante, who registered the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) in January 1939. Follow me for a quick explanation. (WIF, inaugurated in 1958), Bustamante was first and foremost a Jamaican nationalist, and he became increasingly disenchanted with the federation. newly formed West Indies Federation. Under this system, the Governor had the right to veto at all times, which he very often exercised against the wishes of the majority. Bustamante attended primary schools in Hanover, Jamaica. Date of Birth: February 24, 1884. Pier One or Houseboat Grill? He was also the principal Government spokesman in the House of Representatives. The History of the JLP; Our Constitution; The support of a predominantly rural and agrarian labor forcewith whom he shared an emotional attachment to the British monarchyalong with his own private-enterprise orientation, enabled Bustamante to establish the JLP as a genuine conservative party akin to the British Conservative Party. Between 1910 and 1931 he also made four return visits to Jamaica, including one to start a business venture. Hippolyte, Erin. //