Former Morant Bay mayor and veteran trade unionist Hanif Brown has died

Veteran trade unionist and former mayor of Morant Bay, St Thomas, Hanif Brown, died today. 

He had been ailing for some time. 

The government has hailed Brown for his services to industrial relations. 

“The trade union movement has lost another remarkable stalwart who has made an invaluable contribution to Jamaica's agricultural sector," said Labour and Social Security Minister Karl Samuda.

Brown was the Jamaica Labour Party councillor for the Bath Division from 1981 to 1990, and then the elected representative for the White Horses Division from 2007 to 2012, the period he served as mayor of Morant Bay and chairman of the St Thomas Municipal Corporation.

He became involved in the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union in 1990, and two years later got the job as island supervisor with responsibility for the eastern parishes.

Samuda says Brown worked in getting better conditions for banana growers in St. Thomas and housing and pension arrangements for sugar workers, islandwide.

Last month, Brown was recognised among 25 individuals by the labour ministry for contributions to labour relations. 

Meanwhile, Local Government and Rural Development Minister Desmond McKenzie has paid tribute to Brown, and Seymour McKenzie, another former councillor from St Thomas who has died. 

He said McKenzie will always be remembered as a "consummate community development advocate" who gave "tireless service" to the people of the Port Morant Division where he served as councillor between 1990 and 1998.

“I want to place on record my personal gratitude for their selfless service, and extend to their families not only my sorrow at their passing, but also my confidence that they will always be fondly and favourably remembered by the people of their divisions and the wider community," the minister said. 

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