Alex Rima

Alex Rima was a trade unionist who founded the Organisation de l’Unité des Artisans(OUA) to fight for the rights of manual workers. One of his recruits was Rajpalsingh Allgoo who became OUA's negotiator, and later became an influential figure in industrial relations.^[1][2]

In 1965 Alex Rima was elected as Lord Mayor of Port Louis, replacing A. Monaf Fakira. During Rima's 1-year term A. R. Abdool Carrim was the Deputy Lord Mayor. In 1966 Rima was replaced by D. Moorghen and Carrim was replaced by Norbert Poupard.^[3]

At the 1967 general elections Alex Rima was a candidate of the Parti Mauricien Social Démocrate(PMSD) in Constituency No. 4 - Port Louis North and Montagne Longue but he was defeated by pro-Independence IFB-CAM-Labour coalition candidates Foogooa, Bundhun and Rault. However he secured one the eight special seats in the Legislative Council as a nominated member, that is, as a Best Loser. In 1969 he became Minister of Employment and Labour soon after the IFB left the government, and when his party's leader Gaëtan Duval entered a coalition with Ramgoolam's Labour Party.^[4][5]