The politics of labour in the British Caribbean : the social origins of authoritarianism and democracy in the British Caribbean labour movement / O. Nigel Bolland.

Pt. I. The Origins of Organised Labour. 1. The social and cultural legacies of colonialism and slavery. 2. Systems of domination and the politics of freedom. 3. The political economy of dependency and depression. 4. Racial consciousness and class formation. 5. The labour rebellions, 1934-9 --
Pt. II. The Institutionalisation of Labour Politics. 6. The colonies at war, 1939-45. 7. The Caribbean Labour Congress and the Cold War, 1945-52. 8. Authoritarianism in the institutionalisation of the labour movement. 9. Class and ethnicity in the politics of decolonisation. 10. Conclusion.

A study of labour politics in the British Caribbean. Between 1934 and 1954 a series of labour rebellions gave rise to trade unions and political parties, and led to democratic reforms. The author argues that while these new institutions were democratic, they exhibited authoritarian tendencies.