Nathaniel “Natty” Elliott Crichlow (12 May 1922 – 18 September 2006) was born in

Tunapuna Tunapuna is a town in the East–West Corridor of the island of Trinidad, in Trinidad and Tobago. Town Tunapuna is located between St. Augustine, Tacarigua and Trincity. Tunapuna is the largest town between San Juan and Arima. It is an import ...

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

, and educated at the Tunapuna

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

School. He was President of the National Union of Government Employees (NUGE) from 1957 and became the first President General of the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) on the merger of the NUGE and the Federated Workers Trade Union in 1967. It was a position he held until his retirement in 1985. His involvement in the broader trade union movement saw him being President of the Trinidad and Tobago Labour Congress from 1970 to 1974, 1st Vice President from 1974 to 1976 and a subsequent term as 2nd Vice President. He also served as the President of the Caribbean Congress of Labour for a period, and was part of the workers delegation to the

International Labour Conference The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...

of the

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...

in 1964 and then every year from 1981 to 1985. On the political front, he was a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

for the

People's National Movement The People's National Movement (PNM) is the longest-serving and oldest active Politics of Trinidad and Tobago, political party in Trinidad and Tobago. The party has dominated national and local politics for much of Trinidad and Tobago's hist ...

(PNM) from 1963 to 1965 and again from 1976 to 1986. He represented labour on many state boards and in 1975 was awarded the

Chaconia Medal The Chaconia Medal (abbreviated C.M. or CM) is the second highest state decoration A state decoration is an object, such as a medal or the insignia of an Order (distinction), order, that is awarded by a sovereign state to honor the recipient. T ...

of the Order of the Trinity (Gold).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crichlow, Nathaniel Trinidad and Tobago trade unionists 1922 births 2006 deaths Members of the Senate (Trinidad and Tobago) People's National Movement politicians Recipients of the Chaconia Medal People from Tunapuna–Piarco