A new book chronicling the triumphs and hardships of union activist Barbara Ball will be out next month

"Our Lady of Labour" pays tribute to the sacrifice of unionists like Dr. Ball who fought to secure rights workers enjoy today.

Book author Ottiwell Simmons, a former union leader, said he worked with Dr. Ball for thirty years and wrote the book of out of respect for her.

He told The Royal Gazette: "When she came in the union in the 1960s she was among very few white members we had in the union. She certainly was the first officer as a white person.

"And she came in at a time that discrimination was very pronounced in Bermuda, so it was a very bold move for her.

"She would have been risking a lot of social and economic opportunities given the social environment at the time."

Mr. Simmons said he wrote the book to show people how dedicated Dr. Ball was to the labour movement.

He said: "She stood head and shoulders or was equal to all others. Given her length of service and her contributions the record must show the results of her contribution to the working class."

The book, written in the first person, is based on Mr. Simmons daily journals which are said to have preserved through his neat handwriting.

He also used archived records from other people who lived through the struggle — often from opposing sides.

This included a full Police report of the BELCO riots, where Dr. Ball and others faced criminal conviction in the courts.

Mr. Simmons, who worked closely with Dr. Ball from the late 1960s, described "the initial cautious approach of Dr. Ball to the labour movement".

He also described how some black people were initially suspicious of Dr. Ball, who would eventually sacrifice to help them.

The author believes Dr. Ball's sharp wit and humour are captured in the book. And he said her extraordinary fashion sense and compassionate generosity based on her Christian faith were also depicted in the story.

All in all he hopes the book, which took him five years to complete, will be an example to young people.

He said: "I hope that the book will also serve as encouragement to Bermuda's young people — particularly young trade unionists — to never give up the struggle.

"I'm looking forward to the book being read by everyone: former and current union members, former and current Government members of both sides.

"And also those in management who were engaged in the fight for equal rights that Dr. Ball and others struggled so hard to achieve."

Both Mr. Simmons and Dr. Ball are expected to appear at Union Square in the Dr. E. F. Gordon building on Labour Day. They will be there to celebrate the completion of their book and to greet people before the march.

"Our Lady of Labour" will be for sale for $30 at all outlets. For more information, please contact Mr. Simmons on 236-2661, or by E-mail at ottie@ibl.bm.