Trade Unions

Trade Unions - A Future?

• A trade union is an independent self-regulating organization of workers created to protect and advance the interests of its members through collective action.” Over recent years, it has become fashionable in many quarters to write off Britain’s trade unions, to label them as obsolete institutions out of touch with new realities and incapable of change. In today’s world of individual employment contracts, performance-related pay schemes, Human Resource and Total Quality Management and all the other ingredients of the so-called ‘new’ workplace, trade unions are often regarded as anachronistic obstacles preventing success of the market economy.

• Trade unions exist because an individual worker has very little power to influence decisions that are made about his or her job. The greatest advantage in joining a trade union is because, by doing so, individuals possess more chance of having a voice and influence in their place of work. By joining forces with other workers, an individual’s opinions and beliefs regarding their job will also be voiced by other union members, thus creating a stronger stance against management, if needed. Therefore, the main purpose of a trade union is to protect and improve people's pay and conditions of employment. This objective is usually achieved through negotiation and representation.

Negotiation• Negotiation is where union representatives discuss

with management, issues which affect people working in an organization. The union finds out the members’ views and relays these views to management. Pay, working hours, holidays and changes to working practices are the sort of issues that are negotiated. However, not all views will be taken on board by management; there may be a difference of opinion between them and union members. Negotiation, therefore, is about finding a solution to these differences. This process is also known as collective bargaining.

• “In many workplaces there is a formal agreement between the union and the company, which states that the union has the right to negotiate with the employer. In these organizations, unions are said to be recognised for collective bargaining purposes.” People who work in organizations where unions are recognised are better paid, and are less likely to be made redundant than people who work in organizations where unions are not recognised.

• The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) is often used to help find a solution to a dispute, which is acceptable to both sides. “Its duty under the Employment Protection Act is to promote the improvement of industrial relations and in particular to encourage the extension of collective bargaining. Also, to develop (and where necessary to reform) collective bargaining machinery. Its main functions are: advisory work, collective conciliation, individual conciliation, arbitration, and extended investigation into industrial relations problems.” Individuals can be represented by trade unions when they encounter problems at work. If an employee feels that they are being unfairly treated, he or she can ask the union representative to help sort out the difficulty with the manager or employer

• Occasionally disagreements do occur, and in these cases the union may decide to take industrial action. “If the problem cannot be resolved amicably, the matter may go to an industrial tribunal.” The purpose of industrial tribunals is to make sure that employees and employers conform to employment laws. They are made up of people outside the workplace who make a judgement about the case, based on the employee’s and employer’s point of view. Cases that go to industrial tribunals are usually about pay, unfair dismissal, redundancy or discrimination at work.

Legal Representation

• Apart from negotiation and representation, many other benefits can be gained by joining a trade union. One of these benefits is the fact that unions can offer their members legal representation. Usually this is to help people to get financial compensation for work-related injuries, or to assist people in taking their employer to court.

Information and Advice• Members can also take full advantage of the wealth of

information which can be obtained from unions, of which can prove invaluable. The kind of information available covers a range of issues i.e. the length of holiday that an employee is entitled to each year, the amount of pay an employee would be entitled to if they took maternity leave, and how training can be obtained at work. “During the last ten years, trade unions have increased the range of services they offer their members. These include: education and training - most unions run training courses for their members on employment rights, health and safety and other issues. Some unions also help members who have left school with little education by offering courses on basic skills and courses leading to professional qualifications.

Member Services• legal assistance - as well as offering legal advice

on employment issues, some unions give help with personal matters, like housing, wills and debt.

• financial discounts - people can get discounts on mortgages, insurance and loans from unions.

• welfare benefits - one of the earliest functions of trade unions was to look after members who hit hard times. Some of the older unions offer financial help to their members when they are sick or unemployed.”

• Conversely, there are disadvantages to trade unions. In today’s high-powered world, with legal protection secured within almost every situation, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the trade union movement to operate at its full potential. “Laws on trade union organization make it more difficult for unions to represent their members and to negotiate improvements to their working conditions.”

• There is still a great need for trade unions. One of the reasons for this is that a lot of the time people enter into a job with little, or no knowledge of their rights within the workplace. Trade unions exist to provide this knowledge.

• Unlike solicitors, who have to deal with a wide range of situations, trade unions are a more convenient source for workers to turn to. They are ideally placed within the organization, and they are totally dedicated to the main concern, which is to protect and advance the interests of its members, the workers.

• How successful trade unions are will depend on various factors. A progressive fall in the number of jobs in manufacturing industries in the future, as in the past, will constitute the decline of trade union membership. So will unemployment, which is currently high by historic standards. Another factor is the fall in traditional full time employment, and an increase in part time and temporary workers, who are less likely to join unions. An increase in the proportion of the workforce employed by small companies where it is often difficult for unions to organize, as well as hostile legislation will all comprise possible obstacles for the trade union to overcome.

• Trade Unions has managed to overcome major obstacles in its time, and has come through it damaged, but still existent.

• BibliographyArmstrong, M & Murlis, H (1991) Reward Management Second Edition Begg, D (1987) Economics Second Edition Clark, A & Layard, R (1993) UK Unemployment Second Edition Jones, J & Morris, M (1986) A-Z of Trade Unionism and Industrial Relations Taylor, R (1994) The Future of the Trade Unions TUC Company Facts Home Page

The Declining Power of Trade Unions(2009)

• The bargaining power of trade unions in the Caribbean is being destroyed. In Trinidad and Tobago, recent media reports indicate that the Telecommunication Services of Trinidad and Tobago, and the Public Transport Service Corporation attempted to decertify the two large trade unions that represent their workers. Contrary to traditional trade union protest behavior, members were urged to, “demonstrate peaceful and respectful behavior at all times.” The move towards decertification of the unions can be viewed in the wider context of reports and studies from around the world which strongly suggest that we may be witnessing the demise of the Trade Union Movement.

• In Trinidad and Tobago, the labor movement gained importance after World War I. During the 1930’s, living standards deteriorated as workers were laid off from the plantations. The situation was aggravated by unjust labor practices and low wages on the sugar estates and in the oil fields. This led to many strikes and riots between 1934 and 1937 in Trinidad and Tobago and throughout the Caribbean.

• Tubal Uriah ‘Buzz’ Butler, a Grenadian of African descent, emerged as the leader of the oil workers, the highest paid and most politicized laborers on the island. Butler called for fair labor practices for workers, and racial unity among the African and East Indian working class, and organized strikes against the major employers, with many incidents of racial violence, deaths, and injuries. He is recognized today as a national hero who sensitized the workers about the oppression to which they were subjected.

• The British responded to the struggle with military force, and by appointing two successive commissions to investigate the causes of the riots in Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere in the Caribbean. The findings of the first commission were that wages were low and working conditions poor throughout the region. The second commission was very critical of the British colonial system in the Caribbean and recommended improvements that included housing construction, agricultural diversification, and more representative government for the islands. The struggle by the workers resulted in the formation of several trade unions and government representation for nationals

• Although some blame can be directed at governments for undermining the power of trade unions, another view points to the need for unions to adopt new organizing tactics to suit a changing world. Today’s reality is that there is increasing private sector control of labor; employers engage in ‘union busting’ activities like external contracting and other sophisticated human resource management techniques that quell the desire for unionization. Fewer young people are attracted to unions, and the depressed global economy has not helped the situation.

• To avoid a collapse of the trade union movement, and ultimately the power of the working class to seek their human rights, the experts advise that union practices have to be modified. Activists should seek partnership with employers instead of confrontation - a position that means strikes that were once common practice may have to be the absolute last course of action.

An overview of the Caribbean Labor Movement: Heinz Sladek

• The economy of the Caribbean has faced huge challenges over the years chiefly due to the confines of employment opportunities, which has been a fundamental contributing factor to elevated unemployment levels. Jobs for the young and female sectors of the population are inadequate. There is a considerable need to alter the focal point of the labor force in the Caribbean in order to speak to these needs. The Caribbean Labor Movement was born out of these needs. The inception of the trade union in the Caribbean developed a direct result of slavery. Those with African genealogy were disenfranchised for years, they tended to be trapped in the lower class, and they had absolutely no political power. As a result of freedom, labor unions emerged, giving these members the prospect to create change in through strikes and violent riots, as this was their only discourse at the time.

• Change was brought about for the working class via the strike and riot. This was proven again and again throughout the Caribbean. The Water Riots of Trinidad, in 1903, achieved the reinstatement of an elected city council and more say for the working class public in community decision making. In Demerara, British Guiana, in 1905, a riot, which was in the end snuffed out by regime military forces, did in fact become the catalyst to the creation of a trade union movement on the island. In due course, the trade labor union was able to make labor changes among the island and throughout the British held Caribbean islands.

• The labor unions knew that social and economic justice would only be achievable if they secured domination over the political system. There were only two ways to gain control, influence or dominance.

• This determinant of the working class still exists in one form or another among the populations of the Caribbean. It has been given more legitimacy by the various government factions and political parties that exist and have existed in the Caribbean. Throughout the 1920s and the 1930s, Britain supported the formation of Caribbean labor unions through the passing of the Colonial Development Welfare Act.

• In most of the Caribbean colonies a close relationship developed between the political parties and the workers' unions. Jamaica had the Jamaica Labour Party and the National Workers' Union. Barbados had the Barbados Labour Party. Moreover, labor unions formed the catalyst for many successful Caribbean political parties in Antigua, St. Kitts, and Grenada.

• After World War II and lasting for many years, a period of peace existed between the Caribbean labor unions and their counterpart political parties. Economies expanded and wages increased. However, even though these two entities have worked hand-in-hand, employment in the Caribbean has continued to be a major challenge. Economic controls and regulations are still very strict. Much of the legislation regarding labor forces in the region have not changed since the inception of the labor force movement. Salaries tend to be lower, production tends to be slower and minimal, and, overall, unemployment numbers continue to climb. Though the landscape appears to be somewhat dreary, without the assistance of the labor movement, the outlook would be much more bleak and futile. The Labor Movement in the Caribbean has, in fact, been a benefit to the people of the Caribbean and will continue to be.

An overview of the Caribbean Labor Movement :John W. Paulus

• The Caribbean labor movement sought, among other things, to achieve rights for labor over and against the rights of industry and capital. In addition to fighting for the rights of workers however, the Caribbean labor movement also focused on regional sovereignty. In fact, it is largely the Caribbean labor movement that is responsible for the break with the British colonial elements of the mid twentieth century. The movement sought to establish a federation among the Caribbean islands, many of which are rather small.

• The Caribbean labor movement lost much of its momentum after world war two. At that time, British imperialism receded from most places in the world including the Caribbean. Without Britainto unite against, many of the smaller movements upon these Caribbeanislands just sort of fell by the wayside.

• Today, there is a Caribbean labor movement that still seeks justice for workers in the Caribbean. There are organizations, for example, such as CARICOM in the Caribbean community.

Is the Trade Union Still a Relevant Force (2009)

• The level of apathy, lack of involvement and engagement by the working class at a time when many of them have lost their jobs or stand to lose their jobs as a result of the global economic downturn. Is the trade union movement, in its current form, still a relevant force in a modern society such as Antigua & Barbuda? The emphasis is on in its current form.

The trade union movement in many of the English-speaking Caribbean territories emerged out of the advancement of industrial relations practices in the United Kingdom and the United Sates during the period of the 1930’s. The difficult, harsh, and inhumane working conditions and practices during this period, not only gave rise to scientific, sociological and psychological investigations into the benefits of improving the working conditions of workers (hygiene factors), it also gave rise to the genesis of highly organized and formalized work groups within the industrial plant. Today, we commonly refer to these groups of workers with a common interest as members of the labour union.

• The labour movements in the Caribbean, through agitation for the improved working conditions of its members, were the early cross bearers. They were the ones who were primarily charged with the burden and the responsibility of transforming the living and working conditions of the masses. The freedoms we enjoy today, and the progress that we have made as a people over the years, are due in part and almost entirely so, to the vision, foresight, courage and charismatic leadership of the trade union leaders across the wider Caribbean. But as we re-examine the world in which we live today, and the role and function of trade unions, one could rightfully argue that many of the trade union in their current form, have lost their reason for being (Raison d’être).

• The trade unions, for the most part, have abandoned the rights and interest of their members in their personal pursuit for political state power. The trade union movements were never intended, conceptualized and organized to become political organizations. They were first and foremost a body of organized labourers whose sole and primary purpose was to improve the working conditions of their members. However, organized labour emerged at a time when there was a similar push for fundamental changes to be made to be made to the social, economic, and political structure and architecture of the region. The two forces converged; the struggle for political and economic freedoms and the improved working condition of the masses, and once they were united in purpose, they were unstoppable. But on the other, one never knows in spite of the fact that many of the leaders of the labour movement were able to ascend to the very hierarchy of power, the same power structures they fought so fearlessly and vehemently to destabilize and destroy.

• Sir George Walter, and in most recent times, Stafford Joseph of the ATLU, could tell most painfully and sorrowfully and bitterly the dangers, pitfalls, and downfalls, when trade unions morph into political organizations. In these types of organizations, part labour movement, part political organization, one can never be sure whose interest is being served.

Workers are often used as pawns to further personal political goals. As such, in any type of industrial relations consultations where these parties are involved, one must be extremely sceptical and abidingly cautious. The natural outcomes from these kinds of deliberations could be detrimental to workers.

• There must be fairness to employees and employers alike• Additionally, one needs to consider the employee related costs that these changes

will bring. Will they be so onerous as to make it virtually impossible for the majority of businesses to survive, expand and grow their business? We are to be mindful that new employment opportunities are created and made possible when businesses are able to make a profit, grow and expand.

• It would seem to me that some of the biggest challenges facing the nation in respect of workers include not only benefits and working conditions, but also the issue of productivity, skills and talent development, openness, trust and transparency between employers and employees. The changes being contemplated therefore should address these issues on the one hand and enforce existing laws that are already on the books on the other.

• Just to be clear, let it be known Antigua is not a China in the west, and neither are we advocating that it should be so. But we are not a semi-socialist state either, for we will never be able to compete on low wages and inhumane working conditions. But certainly, we are not able to compete as a nation by operating on the basis of adding more and more benefits without a prerequisite and commensurate level of improvement in value creation on the part of employees.

• Studies have shown that employees would rather see more interventions that allow them to grow and reach their full potential than to see incremental gains in sick days, or more holidays, and more maternity days. The reality is, the modern marvels of medicine and other scientific breakthroughs mean that employees are living longer healthier lives. The value they seek now is job enrichment and emotional engagement.

Their contributions and commensurate compensation are no longer to be measured and defined by adding a few cents on the dollar on the minimum wage only. What is needed now is a comprehensive review to include incentives tied to productivity; incentives tied to learning and personal development; a desire to feel the push and pull, the pain and pleasure of a new world order. It’s a big ask and one that requires a radical cultural shift in the way that employees and employers engage. It requires a depth of knowledge and experience and academic insights and a thinking-outside-of-the-box mentality.

Trade unions are still relevant

• Dear Editor,The relevance of trade unions should not be de-emphasized given the level of exploitation by employers against non-unionized employees. This is reflected in the millions of dollars recovered by the Ministry of Labour for failure to pay overtime, holidays with pay, premium time, minimum wages, pay in lieu of notice and severance pay, all of which are statutory entitlements and minimum conditions of employment.

• They are relevant since unions focus on issues that encompass and improve on all those entitlements, in addition to other fringe benefits that enhance the welfare of employees not provided for by legislation. They are relevant since they provide an outlet for the satisfaction of workers’ needs through their collective nature, and reduce the perception of discrimination since all benefits gained are distributed equitably among employees irrespective of their political affiliation.

• They are relevant since they provide a strong institutional system for the orderly resolution of conflicts through the grievance procedure, where the interests of workers are adequately represented and resolved.

• Trade unions are now protected by legislative enactment in the Trade Union Recognition Act, once the union satisfies the provision in the act that it has majority membership within the bargaining unit.

• So, irrespective of the view that the influence of unions is waning because of a decline in the mobilization of new membership, trade unions do provide an important function in acting as a buffer against unscrupulous employers.

• However, their relevance is sometimes diminished by the perception that trade unions do not act in the best interest of workers because of political affiliation; that representation through collective bargaining reflects political antagonism or alignment; and that a desire or willingness to find solutions is conditioned more by political rather than industrial considerations.

• As such, people will not be stimulated to support trade unions where the leadership is perceived as representing their own interest and where agreement on issues reflects a bias in favour of the employer, whether private or public.

• Apart from the foregoing, experience has also shown that the relationship between management and unions is still steeped in the traditional conflict approach where bargaining tends to be inflexible and uncompromising, and militancy is seen as a means of enhancing leadership.

• I feel therefore that both management and unions should now contemplate using the ‘interest based’ approach to negotiations, which emphasizes the importance of information, persuasion and co-operation, and where coercion and conflict are viewed as dysfunctional and counter-productive.

• Yours faithfully,D Sookdeo

Splintered, but Unbowed, Are Unions Still Relevant?By STEVEN GREENHOUSE Published: July 30, 2005• Unions also face huge hurdles getting their message through to millions of

young workers and high-tech workers, who tend to be independent-minded and often entrepreneurial and look solely to their own drive and talents, rather than unions, to help them climb the economic ladder.

• "There's an opportunity for unions to build some kind of momentum by focusing on workers who are the most oppressed," he said. Harley Shaiken, a labor expert at the University of California at Berkeley, added, "They need a message that resonates not that you have it bad, but that we can help make your life better."

Labor Relations: Are Unions Still Relevant?

• It would be fair to say that it was the Industrial Revolution which energized workers to form labor unions to create not only some standards for work environment, including safety, hours worked and, eventually, a fair wage

• At the end of the 19th and beginning of the Twentieth centuries, the struggle for labor unions to have the rights for workers recognized by large corporations often resulted not only in strikes and lockouts, but serious bloodshed. The Pullman strike, and the Homestead disaster (with U.S. Steel) still remain black marks on American business.

• It was the pro-labor New Deal which created Social Security and collective bargaining, which provided a fair means of creating decent working conditions and salaries to which both labor and management could come to an agreement. This was the time of greatest union membership, and the post-World War II era found unions gaining strength in coal mining, auto industry, steel, railroads and, eventually, farm workers.

• Strikes, in the last several decades have not had the impact they once had- there have been strikes in movie industry unions, grocery and hotel workers. Seldom have unions representing strikers won their objectives in full.

• Most unions are leery of continued downsizing, mergers and moving jobs overseas. So, they tread a far lighter activity. Safety, work-related stress and health benefits are perhaps the major problem areas. Yet, today most companies see their employees as vital assets and often prefer to deal with them as individuals, rather than through unions. "

• The New York Times claims "Millions of workers,...are ripe for labor's message because of stagnating wages for ordinary workers, declining benefits, growing insecurity on the job, and a sense that the haves are leaving the have-nots further behind. Moreover, workers in the low-wage service sector are disproportionately women, immigrants and members of minority groups that have all been traditionally more open to unionization" (Greenhouse 2005 1).

Labor Unions and Changing Labor Relations

• There has been a great deal of debate as to whether unions improve or worsen employee productivity. On one hand union employees have workload limits that they abide by as well as unionized strikes which can completely shut down organizations. On the other hand unions can reduce turnover by allowing the employee-employer relationship to grow by being an outlet for both sides. (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2004)

• The growth of unions made a huge impact on organizational structure and made employees the focus for organizations. Wanting to avoid unionized employees organizations are making sure that they provide safe working conditions and competitive pay (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2004). Unions have assured better working conditions in factories across the United States as well as equal pay for same skill job thus proving everyone with equal opportunities.

• Collective bargaining is when the union and the management representative (HRM) negotiate terms for an employment contract. This contract consists of pay, benefits, work regulations and how workers will resolve grievances. Reaching a contract is crucial for the employee-employer relationship to functions smoothly. Preparing for collective bargaining is important for both sides. Union representatives have to know exactly what it is that the employees want and the organization has to be ready for some give and take on the benefits side of the agreement. In addition knowing what competitors pay union employees is beneficial to both sides as well as solid knowledge of the previous contract.

• Before strikes or pickets mediation should be attempted to resolve any issues between the organization and the union. In mediation a third party hears both sides of the issue and tries to help in reaching resolution. A mediators recommendations have no legal bounds unlike in arbitration. An arbitrator is also a third-party however they make actual decisions that are binding.

• Unions are not as relevant today as they once were. State regulations require safer work environments and this is one of the most important reasons for their emergence. Additionally organizations know the costs that are involved with having unionized employees and do their best to prevent unions from forming. While unions have helped improve safety for employees across the world the current law enforced regulations and competitive market will keep them from flourishing into the giant power they once were.

The Function of Trade Unions K.D. EWING

• Trade unions have a number of functions, some of which have been more prominent than others at different periods in history. But over the course of time trade unions have developed five principal functions. These are respectively: a service function; a representation function; a regulatory function; a government function; and a public administration function. This paper examines these different functions and argues that the balance is shifting, with more emphasis being placed on service, governmental and public administration functions. We are witnessing the emergence of a new ‘supply side trade unionism with a corresponding dilution of their representative and regulatory functions.

• CONCLUSION: There is an emerging trend clearly perceptible which sees trade unions being pushed in the direction of service, governmental and public administration functions. Although these are profoundly important roles of a mature and holistic

• movement which are not to be diminished or underestimated,68 there is correspondingly an attempt to shape the representative role of trade unions and dilute their regulatory role.

Unions: Good or Bad?• Unions can have the power to impede a company's ability to

compete and thrive. A firm might be in desperate trouble, yet its unions may be unwilling to bend or compromise in order to help the company survive. Many employers find themselves left very inflexible when they have union contracts to abide by.

Some more problems with unions:• Anti-competitiveness. The Socialstudieshelp.com website suggests

that, "unions. are victims of their own success. Unions raised their wages substantially above the wages paid to nonunion workers.

• A decline in the value of merit. In many union settings, workers can't advance much or at all on their merits, but must generally progress within the limits defined by union contracts. Employers may have trouble weeding out ineffective employees if they belong to unions. In theory, at least, unionized workers might become so comfortable and protected that they lose the incentive to work hard for their employer. And outstanding employees might lose their get-up-and-go if there's no incentive to excel -- or worse, if they're pressured by the union to not go the extra mile.

• Foundation for Enterprise Development case study notes, "A few years ago the pilots' union at Southwest struck an extraordinary deal with the airline to freeze wage increases for 10 years in exchange for an increased proportional allocation of stock options. The flight attendants' union has since also signed a similar agreement that is unprecedented in the industry." And Southwest has continued to thrive in its notoriously tough industry.

Responses to the article

• Away from government, most responsible companies that are large enough should provide some health insurance for their workers, not only because it's good for the workers, but also because it attracts better employees to work for the company.

• Unions DID serve an essential role when they first started. However, the Industrial Revolution is over now and there are regulations set on any industry. Unions now create, or rather protect lazy workers.

• Plus, companies don't fail because of unions, they just create worse products/services.

Arguments and Counter arguments for trade unions

• Labor unions are in decline / Robert E. Baldwin --Labor unions are making a comeback / Chris Kutalik --Labor unions are corrupt and exploit workers / Robert Fitch --Labor unions benefit all workers / Lawrence Mishel and Matthew Walters --Labor unions and immigrant workers must support each other / CLR Working Group on Immigration --Union support of immigration is self-defeating / Carl F. Horowitz --The decline of organized labor is irreversible / Leo Troy --Labor unions must undertake significant internal reform / Tim Kane and James Sherk --Labor unions must partner with social movements / Jeremy Reiss --Labor union survival depends on organizing women / Kate Bronfenbrenner --Labor union survival depends on organizing the poor / Vanessa Tait --Labor unions must be reinvented for the freelance workforce of the future / Sara Horowitz, [et al.].

Collective bargaining gave everyone:

• - 40 hour workweeks- Overtime pay for required work beyond 8 hours a day- Unemployment compensation when you’ve lost your job through no fault of your own- Paid vacation days- Paid holidays- Safety and training standards for workersWithout unions, without collective bargaining and workers sticking together, employers would dictate working conditions, hours, wages, and benefits without any input from the workers.

• Unions have helped keep non-union companies more honest by just there mere presence has made them (non-union) companies pay a competitive wage to recruit workers to their companies.

Are labor unions really necessary to protect worker rights?

• Yes-Given the benefits that labor unions have brought in the past and the current exploitation of American workers, labor unions are needed more than ever to protect worker rights.

• In the old days, labor unions arose as a counterbalance to corporations and individual captains of industry whose practices resulted in death and destruction. From the dictatorship imposed upon workers in Pullman, Chicago, to the Triangle Shirt factory fires, it has been demonstrated that without a powerful union to stand up to corporations, they will exploit workers to the fullest. Now, we see unions attacked and many of the protections, such as proscriptions against child labor, being rolled back by politicians who have been bought off by corporations. Workers are now being forced to work longer, harder, and in more dangerous conditions for less money and fewer benefits than in the past. While there are some corrupt unions that require reform, we have more to benefit from a strong labor movement; do not think than any who wish to see labor unions done away with are a friend of the common working man.

• No-Labor unions are not necessary anymore since there are rules in place to protect workers unlike there were in the past.

• Currently the only reason for unions to exist in our country are to get union workers pay and benefits that are way above and beyond what is due for the job that they do. Yes, the union workers would feel it unfair but their pay would only be going down to a normal amount. Originally unions were put in place to protect workers from employers who underpaid or mistreated their workers, and now it is the union workers who take advantage of their employer. It is because of this that unions are no longer necessary. In fact, unions are slowly destroying our economy.

• Yes-Labor unions are necessary to protect worker rights.• Labor unions are definitely necessary to protect worker rights because they help

to regulate what companies do and how they treat their workers. Labor unions are the "checks and balances" for making sure that companies take care of their workers and treat them with respect. Labor unions are the voice for mass groups of workers when they are being treated unfairly. Without unions, an employer could do whatever they want within the confines of the law with little or no repercussion.

• No-Government regulations have largely taken the place of labor unions.• At one time labor unions served a valid purpose to protect workers. Since then

however, laws have changed and now provide necessary protections. Most unions are actually a drag on industry as they force companies to pay unrealistic wages for unskilled labors and make termination of under- performing workers much more difficult. This affects the company in that it has to charge more for its product to pay for the increased workers' wages.

How Labor Unions Cause InflationLeonard E. Read (An American Economist)• Labor unions, like many influen tial groups, cause inflation by ex ercising their

power to extend government beyond the point where sound financing is politi cally possible.

• The actions of labor unions are based pretty much on the thinking of their leaders. Their whole phi losophy can be summarized by a statement in an AFL-CIO pamphlet (Publication No. 41):"Through their legislative activities, unions have consistently championed measures to improve governmental benefits for various groups of citi zens, without regard to whether the beneficiaries are union members or not."

• Labor unions are politically in fluential. In large measure they get increased federal activity on projects they sponsor. Their coerced and uneconomic wage hikes cause unemployment. Then they use their pressure for gov ernment guaranteed full employ ment which adds billions to the costs of government. It is pre cisely this successful pressure on government that is the effective subcause of inflation. This is how labor unions cause inflation!

HOW UNIONS HELP ALL WORKERS by Lawrence Mishel with Matthew Walters• Unions have a substantial impact on the compensation and work lives of

both unionized and nonunionized workers. This report presents current data on unions’ effect on wages, fringe benefits, total compensation, pay inequality, and workplace protections.

• • Unions play a pivotal role both in securing legislated labor protections and

rights such as safety and• health, overtime, and family/medical leave and in enforcing those rights

on the job. Because unionized• workers are more informed, they are more likely to benefit from social

insurance programs such as• unemployment insurance and workers compensation. Unions are thus an

intermediary institution that provides a necessary complement to legislated benefits and protections.

Conclusion • This paper has presented evidence on some of the advantages that

unionized workers enjoy as the result of union organization and collective bargaining: higher wages; more and better benefits; more effective utilization of social insurance programs; and more effective enforcement of legislated labor protections such as safety, health, and overtime regulations. Unions also set pay standards and practices that raise the wages of nonunionized workers in occupations and industries where there is a strong union presence. Collective bargaining fuels innovations in wages, benefits, and work practices that affect both unionized and nonunionized workers. However, this review does not paint a full picture of the role of unions in workers lives, as unions enable due process in the workplace and facilitate a strong worker voice in the broader community and in politics. Many observers have stated, correctly, that a strong labor movement is essential to a thriving democracy.

• Nor does this review address how unionism and collective bargaining affect individual firms and the economy more generally. Analyses of the union effect on firms and the economy have generally found unions to be a positive force, improving the performance of firms and contributing to economic growth (Freeman and Medoff 1984; Hristus and Laroche 2003; with a dissenting view in Hirsch 1997). There is nothing in the extensive economic analysis of unions to suggest that there are economic costs that offset the positive union impact on the wages, benefits, and labor protections of unionized and nonunionized workers. Unions not only improve workers' benefits, they also contribute to due process and provide a democratic voice for workers at the workplace and in the larger society. — August 2003

What's Wrong With the Labor Unions?

• What’s wrong with the unions? Why are they in retreat when the need for labor solidarity is so clear and so great? Why can’t they bring workers together to resist the ravages of job-killing technology, falling wages, increased exploitation and spreading poverty?

• Disunity brings only weakness and confusion, demoralization and defeat. The union principle is sound, yet the unions fail to unite the workers. They fail even to protect the small and shrinking numbers who belong to them and pay their dues.

• Today’s unions are dedicated to principles that run counter to the best interests of the workers. That’s why they fail to unite the workers and why they become obstacles to workers’ efforts to defend themselves against ruthless exploitation. They call themselves unions, but they are not based on the principle of working-class unity. They divide workers instead of uniting them.

• Capitalist exploitation of workers did not stop when some workers formed unions. The struggle over the division of labor’s product continues to this day. The unions only made it possible for workers to resist in groups.

• The American Federation of Labor, which today as the AFL-CIO functions as an unabashed prop of capitalism, once said in its constitution: “A struggle is going on in all the nations of the civilized world, a struggle between the capitalist and laborer, which grows in intensity from year to year, and will work disastrous results to the toiling millions if they are not combined for mutual protection....”

• Union CorruptionCorruption has followed inevitably. Most union leaders started out as sincere and honest people, but the harsh realities of capitalism quickly disillusioned them.

• In strike after strike, the unions have sacrificed and bartered away the workers’ interests in exchange for such things as the “union shop” and the dues “checkoff” that practically make the capitalist employer a union official and dues collector.

Philosophy of Trade Unions

• President Lincoln,in a speech at Hartford, 1860, referring to the New England shoe workers' great strike.

• The trade unions are the reflects in organized, crystallized form of the best thought,activity, and hopes of the wage-workers. They represent the aggregate expression of

• discontent of labor with existing economic, social, and political misrule. The trade unions are exactly what the wage-workers are, and can be made exactly what they may please

• to make them. Active or sluggish; keen or dull; narrow or broad-gauged, just as the members are intellectual or otherwise. But, represent as they may either of these alternatives, the trades union is the best form of organization for the toilers to protect their present interests, as well as to work out their salvation from all wrong.

• A principle in the economy of our lives must be established, and that is a living wage, below which the wage-workers should not permit themselves to be driven. The living wage must be the first consideration either in the cost or sale of an article, theproduct of labor.Organized labor is wielding an influence upon every public question never attained before. The world's thinkers are now beginning to appreciate the fact that the demands of labor mean more than appears on the surface. It is also humane means by which the workless workers may find the road to employment, and that the millions of hours of increased leisure to the overtasked workers signify millions of golden opportunities for lightening the burdens of the masses, to make the homes more cheerful, the hearts of the people lighter, their hopes and aspirations nobler and broader.

• "We reaffirm as one of the cardinal principles of the trade union movement that the working people must unite and organize, irrespective of creed, color, sex, nationality, or politics."

• Trade unions through industrial action (such as protests and strikes) and political action (influencing Government policy) establish minimum economic and legal conditions and restrain abuse of labour wherever the labour is organised. Trade unions are also seen as moral institutions, which will uplift the weak and downtrodden and render them theplace, the dignity and justice they deserve.

• There have been many opinion surveys especially in the United States, which bring out the poor public image of trade unions. In surveys which rank the confidence of the American public in fourteen institutions (as for example the army, church, supreme court, stock market, legal profession, industrialists, newspapers etc.) trade unions have been consistently placed at the bottom of the list.

• Membership has dropped sharply in many European countries. In France, which is the worst hit, the density of union membership is now estimated to be a miserable 10 percent. In Holland, which is also badly affected, density is estimated at around 25 percent. In England the density of union membership is 44 percent. The picture is not very different outside Europe. In the United States, density has dropped to 16 percent. In Japan, it has dropped to 25 percent. In India, union density has been of a very low order i.e., 10 percent. There are, however, some exceptions to this depressing trend. Trade union density in Sweden, the highest in the world, stands at an extremely impressive 91 percent the working population. Trade unions in Sweden are most respected. They seek social, political and economic democracy. They participate at all levels of decision-making, national and local, and share in the administration of laws. The density in Denmark is 82 percent, and in Norway 63 percent, both very high by world standards.

•

The High Road to a Competitive Economy:A Labor Law Strategy Professor Harley Shaiken June 25, 2004• Unions play a vital economic role and, second, they are the cornerstone of a

democratic society. Unions did benefit their members, but union wage and benefit gains coursed their way through the economy aiding those who did not belong as well. The result was a more vibrant economy in which strong consumer-led growth led to a virtuous circle of prosperity and jobs. At the lower end of the pay scale, unions have been particularly critical in winning decent compensation for low-skilled workers who often have had few opportunities and less hope.Unions, in effect, function as a strong antipoverty program, challenging growing inequality in the society. When unions weaken, working families become more vulnerable. The contribution of unions goes well beyond the paycheck: a strong labor movement is essential in a democratic society. “Free societies and free trade unions go together.” At a time of unfettered globalization and fierce competition, unions has at the heart of its mission speaking for the values and future of working Americans. On the job, it means winning dignity and respect; pushing employers towards the high road to competitiveness.In “a healthy workplace,it is very important that there be some system of checks and balances” (Silk,1991).

• These and other vital safety net programs are now under unprecedented attack, due in no small way to the suppression of workers’ freedom to form unions and the labor movement’s resulting decline. Without a strong labor movement, the voice, the interests, and the direct participation of working Americans fade from political debate and legislative action. The result overturns the balance Schultz talks about in the workplace and in the society thereby corroding democratic values in both.Wagner Act. 1935: The Act was meant to facilitate choice for workers free of coercion “on representatives of their own choosing.” Instead, that choice has become framed by money, fear, and intimidation, as Human Rights Watch (2000) among others has concluded. At its core, EFCA allows workers to make a free choice on whether or not they want to join a union by signing an authorization card or a petition. This streamlined process gauges worker sentiment and avoids an employer-dominated context that often precludes real choice.

• Consider progressive public policies such as the minimum wage, the living wage, expanded health care coverage,pension reform, and job training, among others. All are particularly critical at a time of rapid economic transition and globalization. As union density declines, unions also become less able to bargain effectively for their members or to set economic standards that aid nonmembers.With weaker unions, according to labor economist Richard Freeman, “the U.S. will be slower in developing policies to help the disadvantaged and poor on the one hand and to protect consumers, workers, and shareholders from business crime and dishonesty on the other hand” (Freeman,2003: 13). More than 28 million workers – about a quarter of the workforce between 18 and 64 – earn less than $9.04 an hour, placing them below the $18,800 poverty threshold for a family of four (Conlin and Bernstein, 2004). As a point of comparison, during the last eight recoveries corporate profits rose by about 14 percent while labor compensation grew by 10 percent (Bernstein, 2004).

THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF UNIONS

• When it comes to wages and benefits,unions play a critical role. The story is unambiguous if somewhat expected: unions raise wages and benefits.Economists Lawrence Mishel and Matthew Walters, in a survey of the recent scholarly literature, concluded that unions raise their members’ wages – the union premium – by about 20 percent over comparable non-union workers (Mishel and Walters, 2003: 1).1 More surprisingly, nonunion workers also benefit from union gains, particularly in industries in which union density is high. Employers pump up the wages and benefits of their nonunion employees to avoid unionization in what is often called the “union threat effect.” While measuring the threat effect is complex, Farber (2002, 2003) found that the overall impact on nonunion wages –the combined premium that all nonunion workers receive – approaches the total gains for union members, a major boost for consumer demand throughout the economy (cited in Mishel and Walters, 2003: 10). The corollary is that as unions decline so does this payout. According to Farber (2002: 1), “more than half of the decline in the average wage paid to workers with a high school education or less can be accounted for by the decline in union density.”

• Union workers are 53 percent more likely than their nonunion counterparts to receive employer-paid health insurance, and are nearly five times more likely to have guaranteed, defined-benefit pension plan coverage (BLS, 2004b).2 A recent study concluded that if all jobs in California provided health benefits the state would save $2.1 billion (Zabin et al., 2004). “Low-wage employers are essentially shifting their labor costs onto the public,” according to lead author economist Carol Zabin.3 Unions can be a lifeline for those at the bottom end of the wage scale. Blanchflower and Bryson (2003: 30) underscored this claim, finding in their research that “unions are particularly good at protecting the wages of the most vulnerable workers.”

• In addition to their economic role, unions ensure worker rights on the job. To begin with, the employer in a unionized workplace must have a good reason to fire or discipline someone and then workers have a grievance process to ensure they are treated fairly. In contrast, workers are “employees at will” in almost all nonunion workplaces, giving the employer the right to fire someone for good reason or for little more than awhim.

• Business Week concurred, commenting that “because unions boost workers’ bargaining power and help them win a greater share of productivity gains, any resurgence would give low-wage workers more clout to deal with the effects of factors such as globalization, immigration, and technology” (Conlin and Bernstein, 2004).For many of those stuck in low-wage jobs, union membership is the difference between barely surviving above the poverty line or greater desperation below it.Beyond the benefits that show up on a pay stub, unions have helped to weave a broader social safety net for all workers. Labor has also been central in the passage of workplace-based legislation such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).In manufacturing, Weil found a 45 percent higher probability that worker complaints would trigger OSHA inspections in union compared to nonunion workplaces” (cited in Mishel and Walters, 2003: 13).

PRODUCTIVITY• The economics literature points to the fact that unionization and high

productivity are certainly compatible.Freeman and Medoff (1984) sought to explore why unionized firms are more productive in What Do Unions Do? They found that about one-fifth of the union productivity effect stemmed from lower worker turnover. Unions improve communication channels giving workers the ability to improve their conditions short of “exiting.” Lower turnover means lower training costs, and the experience of more seasoned workers translates into higher productivity and quality. Probably most important, higher compensation focuses the managerial mind: employers need to plan more effectively and pay more attention to the efficiency of their operations. “…unionized establishments that [have] adopted what have been called new or 'transformed' industrial relations practices that promote joint decision making…have higher productivity than other similar nonunion plants,” according to Black and Lynch (1997: 1).

• They found that unionized plants with these new approaches to organizing work had a 9.4 percent higher productivity than nonunion plants with similar high performance work systems. The real productivity story is best understood on the level of the individual firm and union. An innovative employer working with a progressive union can achieve high levels of productivity and world-class competitiveness. What the literature and the case studies underscore is that unionization can foster higher productivity. As Bruce Stokes (2004: 825), a writer for National Journal, put it “a stronger labor movement could help stem job losses by improving productivity and by raising workers' skill levels.”

• Trade union movements in Europe are confronting multiple challenges. Among the adversities that union leaders face are pressing organisational problems: membership tends to erode due to structural changes in the economy and society, unfavourable political and institutional conditions make organizing even more difficult, and attempts to attract and represent new social groups remain insufficient.

Disadvantages of Labour Unions• Labor Strikes: A powerful bargaining tool of labor unions is a labor strike. Stopping

productivity can be a nightmare for employers. For workers, there is no guarantee that the strike will work to produce the benefits the union is seeking. There is no compensation for the loss of wages while a worker is on strike. When labor unions are unable to achieve the aims of their members, the members may call for a strike. A strike is an intentional work stoppage aimed at stifling production and forcing employers to meet union demands. If you are a union worker, you could be forced to strike and lose income even if you do not agree with the decision to strike.

• Incentives: In a company with union representation, promotions and pay are largely determined by seniority. Employers have few options available to motivate their workforce to work harder, produce more and suggest creative solutions to the problems faced by the business.

• Majority Rules: In a union workplace, the majority makes decisions for the entire workforce. If you disagree with the decision of the majority, you have no voice. Union representation can be a powerful force for change in favor of a company's employees, but that powerful force effects change in the direction the majority wants to go.

• While joining a trade union can result in greater ability to affect changes in pay, benefits and other important work issues, union membership has several potential drawbacks.

• Union Dues:. Unionized workers typically have to pay monthly membership fees called "dues" to maintain membership. Dues may be deducted from pay automatically, resulting in less take-home pay. Joining a union may also require a worker to pay an initial union membership fee.

• Seniority: Unionized workforces often have systems of seniority in place where workers that have been employed longer than others enjoy greater pay, benefits or job security. Seniority can be an advantage to long-time workers, but it may be a disadvantage to newer workers and employers. For instance, if you take a new union job and your employer needs to lay off five workers, union seniority may force the employer to lay you off even if you are more productive than the workers that have achieved seniority.

• Considerations: Due to seniority rules, advancing to higher or new job positions in a union environment can be a slow process that is not based on merit. For instance, gaining a promotion in a unionized workforce might simply require you to work at the same job for a certain number of years, regardless of how proficient you are at the job. Such rules may foster an environment of entitlement and provide a disincentive to excel.

Disadvantages to Having Unions or Engaging in Collective Bargaining• In the business world, many industries deal with labor unions when negotiating pay rates and

benefits for employees. While unions have helped workers and business in some ways, they also cause problems for both parties as well. They also have a negative impact on the economy as a whole.

• Separates Workers and Employers: One of the potential disadvantages of labor unions is that they work to separate workers and employers. A labor union essentially pits one side against the other. In negotiations, the labor union wants what is best for the workers and the company tries to retain as much of its money as possible. With this type of arrangement, it can be counterproductive when trying to work together effectively. This often leads to tension between the two parties in the work environment.

• Economic Impact: A labor union can also have negative impacts on the economy and the employer. A labor union is essentially a group of employees that bonds together to fix the price of labor. This is basically the same thing as creating a monopoly, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. When a company does this, it is against the law. When workers do it, it is simply part of being a labor union. This affects the prices that companies can charge for products and services.

• Complexity: Another disadvantage of labor unions and collective bargaining is that they create extra complexity when it comes to hiring and firing employees. When a company needs to fire an employee, it has to abide by the rules set forth by the collective bargaining agreement.

• Halt Business Progress: When labor unions and collective bargaining are involved, there is always the threat of a strike. When a strike occurs, the workforce stops working and producing goods or services for the company. This can halt business operations until the disagreement is solved. In the process, customers might move on to other providers of these goods and services. A strike can set a company back in its growth and make it more difficult to please customers.

• Advantages and Disadvantage of Labor Unions• Such conventions as the eight-hour workday and mandated breaks, including paid

time off, are the direct or indirect result of the labor union movement. Before labor unions gave workers bargaining power as a collective unit in the early 20th century, working conditions in the United States were frequently deplorable and often dangerous.

Labor Unions & the Law• In January 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 14.7 million U.S.

workers belonged to a union. Unions have played a critical role in U.S. labor history. Politicians, businesspeople, and union leaders and members have battled for years over the role unions should play in the U.S. labor market. To the chagrin of many anti-union businesspeople, U.S. lawmakers have ensured the protected status of unions. However, U.S. law also places limits on unions' powers.

What Are the Benefits of Organized Labor Unions in the Untied States?• Nevertheless, the literature on labor unions over and over again shows the

benefits of labor unions for workers and the economy as a whole.• Inequality: Unions have done more, in actual dollar terms, for the lowest-skilled

workers than for the highest. Unions seem to even the playing field for all types of labor they organize. Unskilled workers receive higher pay increases under the union than high-skilled labor. This means that unions have succeeded in protecting the weakest and most vulnerable of all labor, those with few skills.

• Unions are normally modelled on the following structure: • Members - people who pay a subscription to belong to a union. Shop stewards -

sometimes called union representatives - who are elected by members of the union to represent them to management

• Branches - which support union members in different organisations locally. There is usually a branch secretary who is elected by local members. District and/or regional offices - these are usually staffed by full time union officials. These are people who are paid to offer advice and support to union members locally. A national office - the union's headquarters which offers

• support to union members and negotiates or campaigns for improvements to their working conditions. At the top of the organisation there is usually a General Secretary and a National Executive Committee, elected by the union's members.

IMPORTANCE OF TRADE UNIONS• Reduction in Industrial Disputes – Good industrial relations reduce the industrial disputes.

Disputes are reflections of the failure of basic human urges or motivations to secure adequate satisfaction or expression which are fully cured by good industrial relations. Strikes, lockouts, go-slow tactics, gherao and grievances are some of thereflections of industrial unrest which do not spring up in an atmosphere of industrialpeace. It helps promoting co-operation and increasing production.

• High morale – Good industrial relations improve the morale of the employees. Employees work with great zeal with the feeling in mind that the interest of employer and employees is one and the same, i.e. to increase production. Every worker feels that he is a co-owner of the gains of industry. The employer in his turn must realize that the gains of industry are not for him along but they should be shared equally and generously with his workers. In other words, complete unity of thought and action is the main achievement of industrial peace. It increases the place of workers in the society and their ego is satisfied. It naturally affects production because mighty co-operative efforts alone can produce great results.

• The industrial peace lies ultimately in a transformed outlook on the part of both. It is the business of leadership in the ranks of workers, employees and Government to work out a new relationship in consonance with a spirit of true democracy. Both should think themselves as partners of the industry and the role of workers in such a partnership should be recognized. On the other hand, workers must recognize employer’s authority. It will naturally have impact on production because they recognize the interest of each other.

• Reduced Wastage – Good industrial relations are maintained on the basis of cooperation and recognition of each other. It will help increase production. Wastages of man, material and machines are reduced to the minimum and thus national interest is protected.

• Thus, it is evident that good industrial relations is the basis of higher production with minimum cost and higher profits. It also results in increased efficiency of workers. New and new projects may be introduced for the welfare of the workers and to promote the morale of the people at work. An economy organized for planned production and distribution, aiming at the realization of social justice and welfare of the massage can function effectively only in an atmosphere of industrial peace. If the twin objectives ofrapid national development and increased social justice are to be achieved, there must be harmonious relationship between management and labor.

Conclusion• In conclusion, trade unions still tend to play an important role in protecting

workers and helping them enforce their legal rights, particularly in cases when these rights may be uncertain or under debate.

• The value of a trade union is somewhat controversial in today’s world. Proponents of trade or labor unions believe they are necessary to ensure that employees are treated equitably by all and not just some employers. Often, supporters point to the long history of reforms in the workplace made due to the presence of a strong union. Critics sometimes take the stance that the idea of a union is obsolete in today’s world, especially in nations where federal and state laws already protect the rights of workers in general. At times, these critics will also point to situations in the past where unions were compromised by influence from outside forces and did not provide full support to their members. While the debate on unions continue, industries that are currently unionized are likely to remain so for many years to come.

The International Workers Symposium on “The role of Trade Unions in The Global Economy and the fight against poverty.”• According to ILO estimates, 1.39 billion workers worldwide – almost half of the world's total

workforce, and nearly 60 per cent of the workers in the developing countries - do not earn enough to lift themselves and their families above the US $2 a day poverty line. Millions of workers have no direct representation, no social protection and engage in survival activities. Inequality between and within countries is increasing. Indeed, the vast majority of people are not sharing in the benefits of globalization and shaping it.

• Trade unionism is a means for workers to liberate themselves from poverty and social exclusion. Workers use trade unions as their representative voice to demand their rights and improve their living and working conditions. The formation of trade unions was a reaction against the mechanisms of pauperisation, notably: low pay, long working hours, child labour and generally appalling working conditions. And so trade unionism has always been about eradicating poverty.

• There remains a number of contradictions within the IFIs. For instance, while the 2006 World Bank’s World Development Report on “Equity and Development” underlines the importance of trade unions in promoting equity, its flagship report on “Doing Business”, tends to reward countries with “flexible” hiring and firing provisions. The IFIs have not adequately underscored the importance of labour market institutions, particularly the role of trade unions in national development. Participants stressed that labour standards, in particular, those dealing with freedom of association and collective bargaining are crucial in securing decent workingconditions and social progress. In this respect, certain categories of workers, most of whom are women, are particularly vulnerable to denial of, or restriction to basic rights.

• It is where trade unions are the strongest, that poverty and equality has been reduced. There is a unique role of the trade union movement in ensuring a fair distribution of the benefits of economic growth and in making sure that the burden in times of crisis is evenly shared.

• Organizing workers and defending their rights remains a dangerous business. The annual survey of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), released on the opening of the meeting, says that a total of 145 people worldwide were killed in 2004 due to their trade union activities, 16 more than the previous year. The report documents over 700 violent attacks on trade unionists, and nearly 500 death threats. It says that “trade unionists in many countries continue to face imprisonment, dismissal and discrimination, while legal obstacles to trade union organizing and collective bargaining are being used to deny millions of workers their rights”.

• Restrictions on freedom of association range from obstacles in labour legislation (in particular for the rural sector and the informal economy) and administrative hindrance, to outright attacks and abuses by unscrupulous employers and governments. Restrictions on the right to collective bargaining also result in undermining the basic mechanism to ensure fair distribution of incomes and equality.

• Participants stressed that freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining is essential for the defence and promotion of the interests of the poor. (vital role in combating poverty and combating social justice.”

• Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are the bedrock on which social dialogue is built. Social dialogue cannot exist without respect for freedom of association and without independent trade unions and employers’ organisations. Social dialogue is both a means and a process to reach solutions to conflicts and problems in the world of work. In order to have a sound social dialogue, four basic conditions have to be satisfied: Firstly, workers and employers should enjoy the full right of freedom of association; secondly, there should be strong and representative workers’ and employers’ organisations; thirdly, the rights and responsibilities of both employers and workers should be recognised; fourthly, mechanisms for negotiations and grievance procedures should be clearly set in place. Social dialogue is important in the fight against poverty. In countries, where there is no culture of dialogue, there is no industrial peace, or simply peace, and civil conflicts destroy lives and employment. Social dialogue will thrive where there is democracy, good governance and political will. Solidarity and fair redistribution of wealth are essential. Collective bargaining is the highest form of social dialogue.

The existence of a strong and recognized trade union is a pre-requisite to industrial peace. Decisions taken through the process of collective bargaining and negotiations between employer and unions are more influential. Trade unions play an important role and are helpful in effective communication between the workers and the management. Trade unions help in accelerated pace of economic development in many ways as follows: by inculcating discipline among the workforce, by enabling settlement of industrial disputes in a rational manner, by helping social adjustments. Workers have to adjust themselves to the new working conditions, the new rules and policies. Workers coming from different backgrounds may become disorganized, unsatisfied and frustrated. Unions help them in such adjustment.

• Trade unions are a part of society and as such, have to take into consideration the national integration as well.

• Unions take the power out of the employer's hands on many issues. There are examples of cases where workers were engaging in sexual or racial harassment, but were protected by their unions and allowed to keep their jobs. Poor workers and excellent workers often receive the same pay and raises, giving no reason for a person to work harder than necessary at their job.

Functions of Trade Unions • Militant functions: One set of activities performed by trade unions leads to the

betterment of the position of their members in relation to their employment. The aim of such activities is to ensure adequate wages, secure better conditions of work and employment, get better treatment from employers, etc. When the unions fail to accomplish these aims by the method of collective bargaining and negotiations, they adopt an approach and put up a fight with the management in the form of so-slow, strike, boycott, gherao, etc. Hence, these functions of the trade unions are known as militant or fighting functions.

• Fraternal Functions: Another set of activities performed by trade unions aims at rendering help to its members in times of need, and improving their efficiency.

Trade unions try to foster a spirit of cooperation and promote friendly relations and diffuse education and culture among their members. They also arrange for legal assistance to its members, if necessary. Besides, these, they undertake many welfare measures for their members, e.g., school for the education of children, library, reading-rooms, in-door and out-door games, and other recreational facilities.

• Another broad classification of the functions of unions may be as follows: • Intra-mural activities: These consist of those functions of the unions that lead to

the betterment of employment conditions such as ensuring adequate wages and salaries, etc. for which the methods adopted may be collective bargaining, negotiations, strikes, etc.

• Extra-mural activities: These activities help the employees to maintain and improve their efficiency or productivity, e.g., measures intended to foster a spirit of cooperation, promote friendly relations, and diffuse education among members and various other types of welfare measures.

• Political activities: Modern trade unions also take up political activities to achieve their objectives. Such activities may be related to the formation of a political party or those reflecting an attempt to seek influence on public policy relating to matters connected with the interests of working class.

Criticism of Trade Unions by the Employers

• The employers have subjected trade unions to severe criticism. Some of the charges are as under:

• Lack of education makes the workers narrow-minded, and prevents them from taking long-term views. Thus, anything, which does not result in an immediate reward, becomes unattractive to them. This attitude is responsible for many strikes and lock-outs in industrial concerns.

• When labour unions strike because of illogical grounds, incalculable losses occur to producers, community and the nation. These are harmful to the workers also. They suffer because of the loss of wages. They create artificial scarcity of labour by demanding that only union personnel should be employed.

Why do Workers Join Unions?

• Since human behaviour is goal directed, the employees will join a union if some of their wants can be fulfilled by membership in a union. The important forces that make the employees join a union are as follows:

• Greater Bargaining Power. The individual employee possesses very little bargaining power as compared to that of his employer.

• Make their Voices Heard. The desire for self-expression is a fundamental human drive for most people. Don’t you agree with that? All of us wish to share our feelings, ideas and opinions with others. Similarly the workers also want the management to listen to them.A trade union provides such a forum where the feelings, ideas and opinions of the workers could be discussed. It can also transmit the feelings, ideas, opinions and complaints of the workers to the management. The collective voice of the workers is heard by the management and give due consideration while taking policy decisions by the management.

• Minimise Discrimination. The decisions regarding pay, work, transfer, promotion, etc. are highly subjective in nature. A trade union can compel the management to formulate personnel policies that press for equality of treatment to the workers. All the labour decisions of the management are under close scrutiny of the labour union. This has the effect of minimising favouritism and discrimination.

• Sense of Security. The employees may join the unions because of their belief that it is an effective way to secure adequate protection from various types of hazards and income insecurity such as accident, injury, illness, unemployment, etc. The trade union secure retirement benefits of the workers and compel the management to invest in welfare services for the benefit of the workers.

• Sense of Participation. The employees can participate in management of matters affecting their interests only if they join trade unions. They can influence the decisions that are taken as a result of collective bargaining between the union and the management.

• Sense of Belongingness. Many employees join a union because their co- workers are the members of the union. At times, an employee joins a union under group pressure; if he does not, he often has a very difficult time at work. On the other hand, those who are members of a union feel that they gain respect in the eyes of their fellow workers. They can also discuss their problem with’ the trade union leaders.

Problems and weaknesses of trade unions

• Uneven Growth• Limited membership• Indifferent attitude of Workers • Outside leadership: Since outsiders have links with political parties, they give

greater importance to the interest of their political parties. At times, they don not mind sacrificing the interest of their followers for the achievement of political ends. Their approach towards labour problems is coloured by political considerations. This hampers the growth of healthy employer-employee relations. When there is an industrial dispute, the leaders try to solve it through political pressures and interventions. This naturally obstructs the growth of understanding and accommodation between workers and employers. Outsides leaders are responsible for the creation of multiple unions, in case they are not satisfied with other union leaders, they would leave that union with a group of dissident workers and form another rival union in the same plant. Such an approach kills the solidity and solidarity of trade union movement.

• Multiplicity of Unions: causes inter-union rivalry• Financial Problems. The financial position of the trade unions is weak because

their average yearly income is very low and inadequate. The subscription rates are very low. Under conditions of multiplicity of unions, a union interested in increasing its membership figures keeps the subscription rate unduly low. As a result, the funds with the unions are inadequate and they cannot undertake welfare programmes for their members. Another reason for the weak financial position of union is that large amounts of subscription dues remain unpaid by the workers. Besides this, unions do not have proper staff and organisation to collect subscriptions.

Suggestions for Healthy Growth of Unionism:

• One Union per Industry, Paid Union Officials, Development of Internal leadership, Recognition of Trade Unions, Improved of financial condition

• Managements have been able to undo the union power by relocating units in interior places and simultaneously curbing militancy in existing plants where there is a strong union (Noronha, 2000).

Problems of Trade Unions

Trinidad and Tobago

Labour unions in Trinidad and Tobago

• Workers in Trinidad and Tobago are employed in all sorts of industries ranging from agriculture to aerospace, or education to entertainment. And in each industry we have had struggles that have united workers to collectively shape the definition of what we call labor in our country. Many times these issues have become significant in the national forefront, politically and emotionally for the people represented.

• Unions could provide workers with channels to express their concerns and aspirations. The union represents all its members in negotiating with their employer for better terms and conditions based on the fact that unity is strength.

• Unions can create opportunities for workers to upgrade their skills through skills upgrading. So workers will become multi-skilled, highly productive and adaptable to changing work environments, so that they can take on better paying jobs of the future and keep employable throughout their working life. A union ensures that members are not dismissed arbitrarily.

Duke has nation at heartBy Apr 13, 2011 at 1:1

• Some trade union leaders are against the five per cent agreement between Public Services Association (PSA) leader Watson Duke and the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO). The PSA leader may be the only one who has the national interest at heart. Those who are opposed to the five per cent offer are not taking a dispassionate view of the facts.

• The first fact has to do with the quantum of the percentage of the national budget. At present, public sector wages and salaries account for 19 per cent of the budget. The five per cent acceptance by the PSA will cost $600 million more for 35,000 workers in the Public Service. Yet-to-be-concluded negotiations for teachers, police, prisons officers, Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) workers and Petrotrin workers expect to cause the wage bill to soar to an additional $1 billion, thereby increasing the percentage of the wage bill to the national budget. This wage bill is an annual expenditure which is fixed. Can the Government sustain this high level of expenditure on workers who have a question mark over their level of productivity?

• In addition, the Air Jamaica deal is costing this Government in the vicinity of $500 to $700 million in losses per year, with no light at the end of the tunnel. How does a Government bring some form of sanity in these rough economic times?

• Forget the fact that the price of crude oil is currently above US$100 per barrel. Every dollar increase in the price of oil is $100 million for our coffers. Forget that the budget of 2010-2011 was predicated at a price of US$65 per barrel. Forget that the price of natural gas is now over US$4 mmbtu. Every dollar increase in the price of gas is $1 billion for our Treasury. All of those increases, albeit temporary, are based on disturbances in the Middle East. Once the Arab world settles down, the prices of those commodities would plummet, leaving the T&T Government with a huge wage bill if it succumbs to the demands of the National Trade Union Centre (Natuc) and company. The Minister of Finance cannot afford to buckle under the threats and intimidation of irresponsible labour leaders.

• Labour leaders must remember the Government is operating on a deficit budget. They must heed the warning of once US Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan that "deficit spending is simply a scheme for the hidden confiscation of wealth". This means the Government is spending money that it does not own at present. This places a threat of sustainable development in the future. Future generations are not guaranteed the same level of services as the present generation if the Government succumbs to the wild demands of myopic union leaders of today.

• Union leaders must understand "unemployment is the inevitable result of forcing wage rates above their free market level" [Nathaniel Branden]. The Government, on the other hand, wants to increase employment levels by sharing the national pie with a greater number of its citizens, particularly, the youth in the On-the-Job Training (OJT) programme.

• Union leaders, take your five per cent and ensure there is a future for our twin-island republic.

• John Jessamy : Fyzabad

Unions fight, workers lose By Andy Johnson: Story Created: Jun 4, 2009 Story Updated:

Feb 6, 2011

• AT a time when the defence of workers is increasingly being threatened by employers' reactions to what they claim are the effects of the economic downturn ought to have forced trade unions towards their own roundtable, fresh fighting has broken out among them.

• Labour Day 2009, two weeks and a day from today, should have been a breakwater day for the leaders of the country's labour movement. Gathered in Fyzabad, they should have worked out an agenda for beating back the tide of retrenchment.

• By their own predictions trade union leaders have been projecting a loss of jobs across sectors and industries this year in the region of 10,000. Curiously, despite criticism from some political quarters that it began the year with no plan to address rising unemployment, the Government appears to have figured out that even this number of job losses would be managed.

• Ten thousand job losses would land the economy at an unemployment rate of six per cent, one minister has put on the table, telegraphing the probability that a Cabinet plan is in the wings to address those who would be so affected. On the face of it, the supporting logic holds, the worst that may lie in store will not result in a jobless figure close to ten per cent.

• And that will not create need for alarm, or for extraordinary measures by the political directorate who must demonstrate a capability to minimise the resulting discontent. So the thinking suggests.

• Having adopted antagonistic positions in their approaches to the issues surrounding the Fifth Summit of the Americas, for example, leading representatives of both the NUGFW and the FITUN would refuse even to sit together in the same forum to address matters of common concern.

• Such mutual disaffection has succeeded in prolonging a state of paralysis in the aspirations for a social compact in the country.

• What the union leaders agree on from their divided standpoints is the need for a comprehensive review of the existing package of labour legislation, to make for a greater measure of protection for workers.

• Company failures, as was demonstrated with the collapse of the Clico Investment Bank, mean that workers can be exposed while high level battles are enjoined to secure financial assets. "Labour market flexibility'' gets increasingly implemented as the guiding principle in terms of engagement. The upshot of this is that the percentage of workers without protection of basic representation, more and more without benefit of elementary terms and conditions, goes up. The imbalance between unionised shops and un-unionised worker ghettoes grows more pronounced, as choir-masters of the economy herald what to them represents full employment.

• It is perhaps a paradox therefore, that one trade union is now being accused of poaching from three other unions not in its own camp, as groups of workers in each case express frustration at what they view as unsatisfactory representation from their recognised bargaining agents.

• This itself has a connection to the intra-regional storm gathering across the Caricom as some governments react to what they see as the need to protect nationals as workers, from non-nationals who are Caricom citizens nevertheless, but who are in search of decent livelihoods.

• It is Barbados today and Antigua tomorrow, but it is going to be T&T the following day, for another time in our history. And the labour movement could lead the way in finding acceptable solutions now.

• For the moment as well, however, 30 workers at the Water and Sewage Authority lost their jobs in what was clearly a desperate attempt to get a hearing from their employers, in circumstances in which they were also seeking alternative representation.

• Such drastic action was taken by a government as employer, wanting to set examples in an environment created by decades of interference and manipulation by successive political directorates. It happened also, under the leadership of a chairman with a huge reputation as a leading regional figure in industrial relations. And with a human resources team leader with considerable prior experience both at the Ministry of Labour and at the ILO.

• On top of that another 29 workers lost their jobs at a company which claimed downturn-related hardships days after being served notice of the workers' intentions to seek union representation.

• Platform speeches in Fyzabad on Labour Day may well refer to some of all of these developments. But the sense that they will be coming from a labour front with solidarity sufficient to convey a force to which respectful reaction must follow, is not now discernible.

Our unions must leave backward tactics behind

• The operations of most local trade unions seem to be stuck in a time warp. Their approach to collective bargaining has not changed in decades and when things don't go their way, they descend to barbaric and unlawful practices. Case in point—the atrocious behaviour of the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) workers at the head office when they went to deliver a letter to the CEO.

• They still think that if 5,000 workers delivered the letter, it would have more impact than if one union representative did. They do not understand that this behaviour does not breed good results in civil society in this day and age.

• They wanted to lump the suspension of employees with other issues.

• Another archaic tactic is to use politics to make up for their lack of good negotiating skills by mounting a campaign against the People's National Movement (PNM) in order to settle their negotiations. This campaign against the PNM is a facade—if a general election were to be called tomorrow, the majority of them would vote for the PNM. Mr Manning is smart enough to not call the union's bluff and instruct TSTT to settle negotiations to avoid any political backlash.

• Trade unions need to come of age and contribute meaningfully to organisational and national development. They should be at the table, talking about employee productivity, performance-related pay, business process improvement, leadership, governance, etc, and at the same time displaying these issues within their own unions.

• They need to display an understanding of economics and proper compensation principles, and understand that company profits is not necessarily a critical determining factor in pay negotiations.

• Good again on TSTT's management to agree on a profit-sharing plan, but in the same breath is the union willing to share in the losses as incurred two years ago at TSTT?

• Until then, they will continue to be parasitic organisations—ones that depend on their host to survive, but adding no real value to their host.

Unions have no cause for angerApril 12, 2011

• It is clear that sections of the labour movement have prematurely played their hand and inadvertently shown their political colours.

• Reading the news of the Public Services Association president settling wage negotiations with the Government should have brought a sense of happiness across the nation as it would have meant the tense industrial relations environment would have been defused.

• But immediately as the PSA president settled, we see the former president, Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, now a PNM adviser saying: "It is a complete sell out…it is incredible. He is misleading members with regard to this million-dollar medical coverage; since 2009 the monthly premium was increased. Duke is misleading public servants." Really, Ms Baptiste-Primus?

• Now we are seeing the NUGFW and NATUC also claiming that the PSA president has "sold out''. To create tension and hardship in a situation of economic hardship is good for the labour movement. But to settle and work with the Government as it further stabilises the economy is not good?

• It begs the question, what really is the mission of the sections of the labour movement that want to keep marching? Do NUGFW and Natuc want to see the economy become further weakened just so they can have more money in their pockets, even though their actions will mean that same money has less value?

• What are they thinking? • Aaron Mansingh: Chaguanas

Are unions in the public's interest?By William Lucie-Smith: October 21, 2009

• Recently two state enterprises laid complaints against trade unions in the Industrial Court that could have led to the de-recognition of the union had the action been successful and the court held that that was the appropriate course of action. The Government quickly moved to ensure that the state enterprises could not seek de-recognition of the unions, indicating that would not be in the public interest notwithstanding the legal right of the companies to go to court over industrial action.

• Last week we witnessed unrepresented foreign (Chinese) workers working for a Chinese construction company protest against their working conditions and lack of pay. The police riot squad was used to terminate the peaceful protest action. However many people remain concerned about the working conditions of these workers and wonder if their foreign employers really comply with all local labour, NIS and tax laws. There is an uncomfortable feeling that we are exploiting cheap "sweatshop" migrant labour.

• In the UK this week the Communications Workers Union (CWU), following a majority in a strike ballot, has called a two-day national strike at the Royal Mail (post office).

• This has been national front page news in the UK, with a lot of negative comment about the damage this strike will do to the Royal Mail and to the economy.

• The Sunday Times in the UK headlined their article on the subject "Last post for the Royal Mail" and pointedly noted that when customers leave they never return. It was reported that Amazon.com had cancelled their contract with the Royal Mail and companies like DHL (owned by Deutsche Post) were ready to take up the slack. The dispute is over modernisation in which Royal Mail wishes to end anachronistic working practices that result in high cost and poor productivity. While CWU claims massive worker support, outsiders clearly see a business that no one will save that seems determined to commit suicide. No resolution is in sight and the business is in a terminal decline as it continues to lose market share.

• Some may see a parallel between the story of the Royal Mail and both BWIA (that did collapse) and TSTT who appears to be in a permanent struggle with, ironically, the CWU. However, the circumstances differ in all cases and it is dangerous to generalise. What we can say is that industrial action often hurts the company and the workers themselves, even in extreme cases jeopardising the jobs that the union is fighting for. This is the harsh reality of negotiation which is supposed to reach equitable outcomes, not result in stalemate and self destruction. That is why we have the Ministry of Labour and the Industrial Court to help settle matters that become too acrimonious and threaten the national interest.

• Trade unions are formed to protect the interests of their members, in particular against discrimination and unfair labour practices. They do this by representing individual members as necessary, by negotiating agreements with employers and by providing a voice on matters that affect employees. This may extend to lobbying the government on matters affecting employees generally, including labour law.

• The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has recognised this and has often appointed labour leaders to state enterprise boards (a very obvious conflict of interest) and the President ensures representation in the Senate by appointing an Independent Senator with credentials to represent the labour movement. In this respect, by tradition, this senator is not really independent at all as he represents a special interest group, but at least he should be independent of political parties and the government.

• In an ideal world trade unions perform an important function in providing the necessary balance between employers and employees. In theory it is hoped that the collective bargaining process would lead to an outcome where employees receive appropriate labour contracts and the company is able to thrive and expand.

• It ought to be obvious to all that the success of the company itself is a prerequisite to providing benefits to employees, management and shareholders alike. Regrettably sometimes industrial relations become so acrimonious that disputes over the division of revenues take precedence over the maximisation of revenue. This is certainly the case with CWU at Royal Mail and perhaps also the case with CWU and TSTT.

• It is to be hoped that good sense prevails and both union and management recognise their obligations to the well being of the business and the quality of service to the public. Once the business is no longer a monopoly the public will quickly exercise their options if poor industrial relations affect the competitiveness and quality of the product.

• To date we have been fairly lucky that the major unions have taken their responsibilities seriously and recognised the public interest.

• It is important that there is a fair and equitable balance between employer and employee and all of us can feel sympathy for the unrepresented and vulnerable migrant workers who do not have the muscle and experience of a trade union like OWTU behind them. Trinidad and Tobago would be a poorer place without effective employee representation and it is important we maintain the appropriate balance.

Employers scoff at union claims'Workers on the breadline‘: June 15 2009

• The country's largest group of employers has criticised statements made by president general of the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union, Rudy Indarsingh, that employers were using the global financial crisis to "put employees on the breadline".

• In a statement, the Employers Consultative Association (ECA) said it was aware of the moral, social and legal obligations of employers toward the community.

• "The world is facing a crisis of truly unprecedented proportions. The business climate is plagued with uncertainty and overwhelming challenges to restore consumer and investor confidence."

• The ECA acknowledged that social partners must do all they could to ensure that the labour market impacts of the crisis were minimised.

• "Now more than ever companies need to maintain their efforts to sustain labour standards and continue to invest in their people," the ECA stated.

• However, the employers organisation suggested that if Indarsingh had hard evidence of this negative employer behaviour, the ECA was willing to hold dialogue with the unions and their members to find a mutually beneficial way forward.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES!

• Some trade union leaders and some workers believed that the People’s Partnership government would serve the interests of the working class. There was even a placard which said: We in Power Now!

Others believed that their association with the government would serve their personal interests. After all, it had served the interests of trade union leaders who had associated themselves with the discredited PNM government.

The National Workers’ Union in our 2010 June 19th statement had warned: “Having “faith” in trade unionists who hold government positions to advance working class interests is dereliction of duty by labour leaders. History has repeatedly demonstrated that we have had to struggle for every gain we have made...

Trade unionists holding government posts does not mean there is a labour government... A workers’ party does not exist just because a few trade unionists declare it to be so. It must be built in the process of struggling to defend, protect and advance working class interests through mass organisation, democratic participation, collective action and political education.”

• The Workers’ Agenda has become a distant memory and the trade union movement is in defensive mode as it seeks to brakes the blows of the government. What a difference a year makes! The strategy of the labour leaders who jumped into bed with the employers and the state in the People’s Partnership in a futile bid to influence them into adopting more labour-friendly policies has, predictably, crashed and burned.

It is heartening to see some of the trade union leaders who were singing the praises of the government have come to reality and are now singing a different tune.

• What are workers to do? We must defend, protect and advance our interests regardless of who is in power. We must not fool ourselves into believing that a government made up of employers and defenders of capitalism will seek the interests of workers.

Our programme must be based on a massive campaign to organise the 80% of the workforce that is not unionised including the temporary casual and contract workers who fall within unionised bargaining units. In order to organise the unorganised the long, drawn out process of union recognition must be reformed so that no recognition claim should take more than 3 months.

• Workers must utilise the power they have in their branches and general councils to insist that their leaders act transparently and accountably.• The battle lines are drawn. The government, serving the interests of employers; with all the resources of the state at its disposal, stands on one side

systematically implementing its policy of wage suppression and job elimination. On the other side stand the trade unions leading tens of thousands of organised workers and hundreds of thousands of unorganised workers, armed with their power over production, their potential for unity and their determination not to pay for the capitalist crisis.

BIGWU SAYS REJECT THE FIVE PER CENT CAP! June 15 2011

• By the end of the first quarter of 2010, the economy had already come out of negative growth; the economy enjoyed its second consecutive quarter of economic growth. The Central Bank reported that the economy had expanded by 2.3% by the end of the first quarter of 2010. GDP grew by 4.5% for 2010. Standards and Poors gave the country a credit rating of A at the end of 2010.

• Mr. Dookeran has pointed to the existence of a deficit. The actual deficit for 2010 stood at 0.22 percent of GDP. This is an extremely favourable deficit. Deficit financing is common in Europe and the USA, where although President Obama campaigned against the large American deficit, under his Presidency the deficit has been increased even further.

• The 2011 Budget was based on an oil price of US$65.00 per barrel and a Natural Gas price of US$2.75 per mmbtu. The oil price is presently US$111.05 per barrel and the price of Natural Gas is US$4.73 per mmbtu. This means that government’s revenue as per foreign exchange earnings from oil and gas increased by at least twenty five per cent (25%).

• During the period 2006 to 2011 Government’s expenditure grew from $37.7B to $48.9B. However during the period 2007 to 2010, the percentage of government’s expenditure on salaries and wages fell from 20.7% to 17.9%.

• The above arguments are compelling enough to inform workers to take a stand against the five percent cap. But to add insult to the injury, it should be noted that the private sector owes the government $13B in unpaid taxes.

• References:• • Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, Annual Economic Survey 2010.• • Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, Quarterly Economic Review

• NWU SAFETY SESSIONS FOR UNORGANISED WORKERS• The Minister of Labour recently said "there were hundreds of workplace accidents occurring annually" with

their consequent injuries, dismemberment, loss of pay and inability to lead a healthy lifestyle thereafter.• What you need to know is that even though you are not under the protection of a union at present, YOU• HAVE RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW. You can and must become informed, knowledgeable and better organized to

protect your life and limb.National FoodCrop Farmers' Association (NFFA)• 1. The farmers have invested many years of labour and experience to bring these lands from simply

arable to the prime farmlands that they are today. These farmers have gained intricate knowledge of the layout, drainage and soil composition of these prime agricultural lands. Relocation to any other land would require starting from scratch in these areas – a difficult proposition for anyone who has invested several years in the laborious vocation that farming is.

• 2. Relocation of these farmers from their prime agricultural properties would also send a signal to other farmers nationally that several years’ investment in farming can be destroyed with a singular policy decision, thereby discouraging them and other potential farmers from giving serious consideration to farming and the food security that it brings to our nation.

• 3. In light of the inflationary pressures that high food prices put on us locally, prime agricultural lands must not be used for housing especially more so when suitable non – agricultural sites are available in close proximity . Our government must keep its promise of respecting our farmers and consulting stakeholders before taking decisions that will have negative impact on the food security of our country.

NWU CONDEMNS SIGNING OF 5% DEAL

• The leadership of the trade union movement, both in NATUC and FITUN refused to mobilise their workers and some union leaders were happy to jump into bed with the government for board positions and other political posts and favours.

“We can’t rely on trade union leaders who are in the bosom of the government to beg them for favours! We do not want favours. A decent standard of living for working people is our right as human beings. We must rely on our unity as working people and be prepared to do all that is necessary to defend our standard of living.”

The disunity at leadership level of the trade union movement has sabotaged the struggle of workers to keep their heads above water in a period when the international capitalist system is going through convulsions and employers everywhere are trying to maintain their standard of living by driving down that of workers to an indecent and unacceptable level.

• The so-called housing benefit is an illusion. The government’s housing policy is in a mess. They cannot meet the demand. There is a waiting list of 125,000 for HDC houses. The houses are not free.

Public servants still have to meet the criteria laid down by HDC. The smaller the salary the less will a worker be able to take up the offer. There are public servants who already own their own homes, so the housing benefit will not apply to them, but they also will be stuck with the 5%. It is, therefore, discriminatory.

• To present full insurance coverage for relatives of workers in the medical plan and that the government will contribute more than the workers is a big mamaguy. These are normal provisions in medical plans and have been for years.

• More disgustingly Mr. Duke failed to inform the national community that the major medical coverage increasing to one million dollars and which has not resulted in any increase in premiums has been implemented since June last year and was not negotiated through Kamla’s intervention as he is making people believe.

• What is a bit perplexing is the Monthly Paid workers of WASA have long enjoyed these benefits that public servants have only recently begun to receive and they are both represented by the PSA.

• Anyone who knows anything about job evaluation knows that an evaluation exercise in an organisation as extensive as the public service will take years to complete and while some jobs may be upgraded, others may be downgraded and yet others may be eliminated altogether.

There is no doubt that the leadership of PSA surrendered to the government and abandoned the interests of their members.• Workers must learn serious lessons from this episode:

· No agreements must be made with employers without the agreement of the members involved

· Trade unions cannot rely on involvement with political parties financed by and serving the interests of employers

· Disunity in the trade union movement is a dagger in the heart of the working class and must be fought and defeated as a matter of urgency.• It must be recognised that the government has shown itself to be anti-worker, and those trade union leaders who still cling to its coat tails must be

viewed and treated as traitors to the working class, more interested in advancing their personal interests than the interests of their members.• Trade unions have two powerful weapons: the power of numbers and the power to affect production. In the struggle against the 5% the power of

numbers was never fully put into motion because of the infighting and division among trade union leaders.

The workers themselves control the power to affect production. There are ways to assert that power over production, by utilising the law: going on legal strike, banning overtime, working to rule, working safe etc. The late great trade unionist, George Weekes, used to say: workers have brain dey ent touch yet!

• The working class, despite the betrayal of some of its leaders is capable of defeating the wage suppression policy of the government. If in that effort to advance their interests trade union leaders are perceived as obstacles then they will be swept away.

• Our choices are clear: fight and survive or surrender and go into our shell for another decade! The latter choice will most surely see a steady decline in our standard of living in this corrupted country where the majority of our wealth is stolen and appropriated by the twin powers of politicians and big business.

Divided we standBy COREY CONNELLY Sunday, June 19 2011• Disenchanted with what they regard as the People’s Partnership Government’s failure to honour promises made to the labour movement in its campaign

manifesto, trade union leaders and their membership will today journey to historic Charlie King Junction in Fyzabad to celebrate the annual Labour Day observance.

• However, the event, which commemorates the 1937 oilfield riots in south Trinidad, is this year being held against a backdrop of continued fragmentation within the movement, overtures by the Opposition People’s National Movement for a more harmonious relationship with the labour fraternity and claims of betrayal within its membership.

Still bitter about the Public Services Association’s (PSA) decision to accept a five-percent wage offer in April, trade union leaders are adamant they will not follow suit and have already signalled their intention to intensify protest action if demands for a speedy resolution to all outstanding wage negotiations are not met.

• Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has said, however, that she will not be daunted by the unions’ threats to destabilise the country.• Rogect said “We did not go to them, they came to us asking for labour support (in the run up to the May 24 general election). We said we will support anything that

supported the interest of working people. To date, we have had a serious betrayal of the trust of labour.”• Despite the many problems affecting the movement, labour leaders assured that the trade union movement was alive and well.

“Trade unionism will always be recognised, not only in Trinidad and Tobago but throughout the world. It is the only institution that speaks and operates on behalf of the working class,” said Lambert.

• President of the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC), Michael Annisette, who attended the Geneva conference, said trade unions will exist as long as there are workers. However, he said the fraternity must strive to become more relevant to the global socio-economic realities to provide better representation.

“The trade union movement must become relevant and they must understand that they must not just represent workers in the union, but they have to spread their wings to other areas — all the social issues that affect the unemployed and all other disadvantaged groups in the society,” he said on Wednesday.

“The trade union movement must become the voice of all disadvantaged citizens of the nation and we have to be able to put on the table concrete solutions and resolutions that will make sense to the workers and that will benefit the general citizenry of Trinidad and Tobago.”

• Endorsing its significance, TTUTA’s Job argued that some governments will be very happy if trade unions did not exist.

“But in Trinidad and Tobago, trade union bodies are a buffer against exploitation of workers by the employers and that still holds up to today,” he said.

• Moving ahead from today’s activities, Townsend feels labour will be under tremendous pressure, having placed the workers and the independence of the trade union movement at the mercy of the politicians.

“I feel no good coming out of any support coming from the labour movement or the pseudo- politicians who say they are labour leaders,” he told Sunday Newsday.

“They are really misleading people grossly and I have no respect nor regard for them because (Tubal Uriah ‘Buzz’) Butler made it clear that if you want to be a politician, you must leave the independence of the trade union movement alone and let it defend and promote the workers’ interests.

• In light of the many issues confronting labour, Annisette said there was critical need for trade unions to present a united front on issues of national significance.

‘There is need for labour to consolidate our collective wisdom and our collective approach in order for us to win the war as it relates to the five percent being dictated by the Government,” said Annisette, who is also president general of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union.

• Job regarded Labour Day as a significant public holiday.• “That is something that we have to remind our citizens about, especially our young people - that the conditions of work they

experience nowadays would not have come about were it not for the struggle of the past trade unionists.”

•

• Labouring for a slice of union pie: Jun 18, 2009 • The internal problems facing the trade union movement run parallel to Opposition politics – membership woes. A nightmare situation seems to have

developed in Trinidad and Tobago where we have too many trade unions offering the same things that they cannot guarantee—job security in a declining economy. Could Tubal Uriah Butler have ever envisaged the day that we would have too many unions? The equation for us to consider: Define how many union members, paying what amount of dues for how many years are necessary to guarantee profits for the "jefes'' and at the same time ensure the membership iron-clad job security ?

• • Unions warn: No time to cut jobs• As economic woes around the world continue and Trinidad and Tobago prepares itself for financial "belt tightening", trade unions are warning both

the government and private sector against retrenching workers. The union leader said workers were made to pay the price the last time the economy hit a low, but this time around it will not be the same, they believe "the burden of adjustment must not be shouldered only by the working class".

• • Mt Hope workers want new union rep: Jun 2, 2009 By Renuka Singh• A faction of employees at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mount Hope is trying to get its union representation changed. The workers

are currently represented by the Public Services Association (PSA), but say they are dissatisfied with the level of representation they have been receiving from the PSA and now want Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) representation instead.

• In a telephone interview yesterday, one employee attached to Mt Hope, who requested anonymity, said in the last two weeks more than 75 workers had resigned their North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) positions in frustration because they "have more than 200 issues" that the union still has not dealt with.

• "Some colleagues have matters dating back seven years that the union still not making a move to address them," he said. He claimed these grievances are continually swept under the carpet by "the uncaring union with their own agenda". Attempts to set up a meeting for the employees with the OWTU have also been met with resistance, he explained.

• Govt surprised by bids to remove unions: By Julien Neaves: Oct 2, 2009• CABINET yesterday advised Public Utilities Minister Mustapha Abdul Hamid and Works and Transport Minister Colm Imbert to meet with the

management of the Telecommunication Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) and the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) respectively, to have them reconsider moves to decertify the Transport and Industrial Workers Union (TIWU) and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) as the representative unions for those companies.

• Browne said that Cabinet was "surprised to note" the moves by a statutory corporation and a State enterprise, PTSC and TSTT respectively, to decertify the two recognised bargaining entities or unions.

• Last month, TSTT applied to the Industrial Court to have the unions decertified, as the latest chapter in a row that escalated last July when employees stormed TSTT headquarters to deliver a petition to the company's chief executive officer, Roberto Peon.

• However, yesterday, Browne noted that Cabinet's position was "that we do not support irresponsible and confrontational behaviour on the parts of the unions and such behaviour is to be deprecated", and any behaviour that did not fall within the ambit of the Industrial Relations Act was to be discouraged.

• He said there had been a number of questions asked about Government's role and position regarding the matter, and it was clear that they supported responsible dialogue and a dialogue process "that allows them to keep in touch and the business of the economy to move forward".

• He noted that yesterday, Cabinet also considered the issue of productivity and relationships in terms of labour relations and industrial relations in the context of the wider development of tripartite-type approach, which would involve the business sector, Government and labour.

• • 'Trade unions need to think smart': Oct 29, 2008• Trade unions in Trinidad and Tobago and across the world must have more "intelligent" responses to labour issues, since those behind the ongoing

global financial crisis are "very intelligent people", says Ruben Cortina, the president of UNI Americas.• "CEOs, they are well organised. National employers, chambers, they are organised also... and they study the issues and they have advisers," Ruben said.• UNI Americas, which has a membership of 3.6 million workers, is part of the Union Network International and BIGWU is one of the UNI's 194 trade

unions that belong to UNI Americas.• Cortina, who is also the leader of the 700,000-strong Argentine Commercial Workers Union in Argentina, said trade unions now "have to deal with very

complex issues" and, as such, must effect "an intelligent mobilisaiton of our workers and our leaders".• He quoted figures from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that stated "the number of unemployed could rise from 190 million in 2007 to 210

million in late 2009" because of the international financial crisis.•

• • 'More women should be involved in trade union leadership': By Nikita Braxton Nov 5, 2009• MORE women need to be involved in the leadership of trade unions in Trinidad and Tobago, Joanne DeFrietas, an executive member of Union Network

International, a global federation of trade unions based in Switzerland, said yesterday.• She said while around the world the percentage of women in unions was increasing, it needed to be more proportional. She spoke of the need to elevate

and empower the role of women in trade unions.• "Women have every right and capability to have the opportunity to fight alongside their men and to lead alongside their men," she stressed.• Worldwide, she said, women are treated unequally in the workplace, in the ownership of assets and in education. She also told the gathering of the

strategy by the United Nations, called gender mainstreaming, to help achieve gender equality.• Trade union women should address issues of getting women more involved and getting women educated on issues such as sexual harassment, domestic

violence and HIV/AIDS prevention and stigma with trade unions, DeFreitas said. She said a woman worker in a union will enjoy better benefits, including maternity leave and flexible working time, and have more job protection than workers without unions.

• ECA appeals for 'better discipline' in trade unions : Oct 3, 2009• Trade union leaders are being urged to exercise better discipline when their members are involved in industrial action. In a press release yesterday,

chairman of the Employers Consultative Association (ECA) of Trinidad and Tobago, Ruben McSween, said this was necessary "so that while their messages may be conveyed in the firmest of manners, there will be greater attention paid to staying within the bounds of peaceful and respectful behaviour at all times".

• McSween said it was equally important that employers be mindful of not infringing the rights of workers to express their strong disagreement when disputes arise, "provided that such disagreement is handled within the confines of the law and acceptable behaviour".

• McSween commented specifically on attempts by Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) and Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) to have the Communication Workers Union and the Transport and Industrial Workers Union decertified from representing their workers.

• The action followed the storming of TSTT headquarters by workers and recent strike action by bus drivers. TSTT has since withdrawn the application.• The ECA stressed that an employer has a real and statutory responsibility to ensure a safe and conducive environment for its stakeholders. • "In taking their decision on the decertification of the trade unions, it appears that the relevant companies would have been most concerned with the

safety of property and personnel and the blatant disregard for the role and instructions of their security teams," he said. McSween said that the provisions of the Industrial Relations Act are somewhat limited regarding sanctions and the only sanctions available to penalise a trade union for taking such action are the imposition of fines, "which by today's standards may be deemed negligible", or the cancellation of the certificate of recognition of the union.

• Union heads lash out: 'Sell-out Duke betrayed the movement': Apr 10, 2011• WATSON DUKE, the president of the Public Services Association (PSA), has betrayed the entire labour movement, president general of the National Union of

Government and Federated Workers' Union (NUGFW) James Lambert has said. And as such, labour leaders have distanced themselves from Duke, with some even labelling him as a traitor. Members of the PSA's general council have also called on Duke to resign after he signed the agreement without consultation. On Friday, Duke met with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, hours after her return from Washington, DC, USA, and signed an agreement for a five per cent increase for public servants. Chief Personnel Officer Stephanie Lewis and Duke also agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to further discuss million-dollar health insurance coverage, housing and job evaluations.

• "Sell-out Duke has betrayed the entire labour movement. We are of the view that he is a very unprincipled person. He was the one that initiated the discussions relative to the rejection of the five per cent. He initiated several demonstrations, he attempted to run into the Prime Minister's residence. When we heard that Duke accepted that five per cent, we were are all amazed. Sell-out Duke has not gotten anything as far as we are concerned," Lambert said. Ancel Roget, the president general of the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU), also condemned Duke's decision to sign the offer. "No union can stand alone in this country and when one group takes a certain course of action, it does not auger well for other trade unions," Roget said.

• • Unions: Just test us...warn Govt of paying political price in wage talks: Apr 14, 2011 • TRADE union leaders say the People's Partnership Government will face a political death if they insist on giving everyone five per cent. Following the decision by

president of the Public Services Association (PSA) Watson Duke to accept a five per cent offer from Government last Friday, several other trade union leaders have publicly said they would not accept the same.

• "If the Government believes that they can, through the mechanisms of the court and, of course, the Ministry of Labour, force and impose on us an unfair five per cent on the country's workforce and get away with it, that is the biggest misconception that they would have because we insist that there is a political price to be paid for this one".

• President of the Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union Vincent Cabrera said the State has perpetrated a wage-restraint policy by signing the historical contract with the PSA, without even establishing an income policy. "They seem not to realise that collective bargaining is a tool of development and a sustainable method of poverty alleviation".

• "And I have come to the conclusion that the PP is making the same error that the PNM (People's National Movement) made; they are interested in poverty alleviation through social programmes, but they do not realise that trade unions have a greater role to play in terms of poverty alleviation because when you negotiate, the money flows through the economy, and people either maintain or raise their standard of living," he said.

• Police Service Social and Welfare Association president Sgt Anand Ramesar, who was also at the news conference, said police officers had reached a point where they were "absolutely agitated" at what was taking place.

• "Police officers have given this executive a clear mandate; reject that five per cent or we will take the fight into our own hands, so I am saying to the Minister of Finance and, by extension, the CPO (Chief Personnel Officer) that if you do not review the five per cent, that you would have done an injustice to every member of Trinidad and Tobago," he said.

• Union, Saith lock horns: No agreement on 72 suspended TSTT workers By Renuka Singh: Aug 15, 2009 • After an almost month-long wait, the executive members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) met with Dr Lenny Saith to air their grievances on Thursday.

CWU president Joseph Remy said the group presented its side of the ongoing issues between the union and the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) at the meeting. Remy said Saith explained that his mandate did not include the rehiring of the 72 suspended workers who have been subsequently charged with illegal industrial action. "I am questioning his mandate," Remy said, explaining that even after he explained that the fate of these workers must be included in his mandate, Saith seemed hesitant to deal with their issues. "We will not proceed until the issue of these 72 suspended workers are properly dealt with," Remy said.

• PTSC, union resume talks: Jan 31, 2009 • The Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) and the Transport and Industrial Workers Union have resumed talks in an effort to settle the issues raised by the

union, a release from the Corporation said on Thursday. • "While there are differences in views on the various issues raised by the Transport and Industrial Workers Union which influenced its membership to withhold their

services ... in the interim, the Corporation and the union have resumed discussions towards resolution of the stated issues." • The PTSC also extended its apologies to the travelling public and stated that its services returned to a state of normalcy on Wednesday, the day after 60 per cent of

part-time drivers stayed away from work. • Union Week to tackle woes 'Govt attacking labour'• Union president general Ancil Roget, at a news conference held yesterday in San Fernando, said: "We are under attack, and there are clandestine attempts to destroy

the unions in the country." • He said the trade unions no longer had faith in politicians or political parties and were left on their own to defend the rights of working people. Roget said some 20

per cent of the working class were members of trade union movements and their voices must be heard at all times. Roget said the OWTU does not support recruitment of foreign workers, but the union will continue its struggle to ensure the Chinese workers in Trinidad are treated fairly. "These workers are being exploited simply because they do not speak English. They are victims of modern slavery," said Roget.

• ...Peon questions union's actions: Jul 9, 2009• TSTT chief executive officer Roberto Peon yesterday questioned the tactics of the Communication Workers' Union, saying he believed the union's methods suggested

they did not intend to deliver a petition to him or hold a peaceful protest. "When something like that happens, you have to ask yourself: what is the objective? The objective is not to deliver the document, it is not to solve the problem... it is to create a confrontation," Peon said at a news conference at the company's Edward Street, Port of Spain, head office yesterday afternoon.

• Pointing to footage from a security camera, which caught CWU general secretary John Julien and several others forcing their way past security and up the staircase of the company's Edward Street head office, Peon said if they wished to have a meeting with him, all they needed to do was arrange a meeting through his "very friendly secretary". Peon noted that for almost 20 years there had been major standoffs between the union and TSTT, and he said he believed the union continued to create tension with the company for its own personal agenda. "This is about power, this is not about wages," said Peon, who added the union was intent on making a member of the executive "a martyr". He said the company was also reviewing it's legal options in relation to Tuesday's events, adding that proper investigations will be done. He said he did not want innocent people to be affected by the company's action in relation to the incident.

• Union: TSTT bonuses 'obscene' By Renuka Singh: Sep 23, 2010 • "Obscene" half year bonuses, totalling over $70 million, has once again been paid to executives, professionals and senior staff at the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT),

claimed Communication Workers Union (CWU) president Joseph Remy. Remy said this payment has been approved and will be disbursed soon. The figure takes the yearly bonus payment to over $150 million to some 400 high level employees, he said.

• Remy made the claims at a press conference held at the union's Henry Street office in Port of Spain yesterday. "The uncaring TSTT paid out over $70 million in March this year and now six months later, they are making another bonus payment based on the half year figures," he said. These half-year bonuses, he said, was a "new thing" within the organisation.

• In response to the CWU's statements, TSTT's vice president of human resources and administration Edghill Messiah said the present bonus plan has been in effect for several years, adding that the union's claim of a second bonus payment was "wholly inaccurate".

• 'Petrotrin, union must work together': By Abby Brathwaite: Oct 22, 2010 • A move was made yesterday to get management and union to work together to resolve differences at Petrotrin. Energy Minister Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan facilitated the meeting between the

president general of the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) Ancel Roget and newly-appointed Petrotrin chairman, Lindsay Gillette. The meeting, which was held at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs office at the International Waterfront Centre, lasted almost two hours. Speaking at a media briefing after the meeting, Seepersad-Bachan said it was crucial that the OWTU, the board and management at Petrotrin begin working together.

• "The Government has taken the view that if there is a way that we can intervene and try to mediate in an attempt to bring the parties together to sit down and talk and negotiate through their difference then we will do so. I have taken it upon myself to take the responsibility for this," she said "Petrotrin has become an important cornerstone to the economy. This means that the employees, the citizens, and our economy are heavily dependent on its success. This is why I feel that the time for the public smears, the tempers, the back and forth and arguments and the hardline refusal to meet in the middle must come to an end," she added.

• "We still have our reservations but we had open and frank discussions. The chairman indicated that he is going to adopt an open-minded approach to a lot of the issues raised by the union," he said. "On the last occasion we did not have the opportunity so therein lies the apprehension. The proof will be in the eating of the pudding going forward."

• Gillette assured the union that he was willing to work with them towards returning the state-owned company to profitability. "I fully appreciate the openness of the OWTU. We agreed on three things in principle, we need to get the oil production up, and up fast. We agreed that management must be in harmony with the OWTU and if that does not happen the first one will not occur."

• A decision was made at the meeting to set up a committee that will examine the union's proposed alternatives to the farm-out option. The committee will comprise three members from the union, two members from management, a member from the board of directors and a member from the line ministry. Roget is confident that an alternative to a lease arrangement can be found.

• One of the other issues raised at the meeting was Petrotrin's health and safety practices. Seepersad-Bachan said this was cause for concern. "We are also reviewing all the health and safety practices at Petrotrin because I understand from my own ministry here that there are several questions being raised. On Monday the chairman of the board of directors will be meeting with management to discuss the issues of the culpability of personnel involved in last weekend's fire at the refinery." "I am going to be taking a serious stance where that is concerned. I do not intend to have any fatalities under my watch."

• Make union busting a felony, says BIGWU: Oct 8, 2010 at 12:53 • The Bank and General Workers Trade Union (BIGWU) is calling on the government to make union busting a felony. The union is also calling for social protection legislation for workers. • Speaking on the occasion of World Day of Decent Work, at BIGWU's head office in Barataria yesterday, president Vincent Cabrera said there was a need for decent work with quality jobs, where

workers' rights are guaranteed and where workers work with dignity. "Some unenlightened employers continue to threaten and dismiss workers merely for exercising their right to join a trade union of their choice. "While it is now illegal for an employer to dismiss workers for joining trade unions, many employees continue to complain of this practice," he said. Cabrera called on any worker who has suffered this injustice to report it to a trade union or to the Ministry of Labour. He said there is also need for social protection legislation, which must include unemployment insurance, severance pay and retirement income. He said this will release a great burden currently being borne by taxpayers.

• "This is a tried and tested measure to alleviate poverty and we want the government to put these things in place, so when a worker is unemployed for a particular period, after working for a number of years (such as the large number of contract workers), they can have some financial relief," he said. .

• TSTT and union heading to court-By Renuka Singh: Aug 20, 2009• Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) is giving way to the courts for a resolution to the current impasse with the Communication Workers

Union (CWU). • Citing the disciplinary action against the 72 workers as a "separate" issue which the union wants dealt with as part of the negotiations, TSTT said it is proceeding

"expeditiously with the hearings of the suspended workers". Two of the 72 suspended employees are to appear before the disciplinary committee this morning. Joseph Remy, president of the CWU, said the union will be representing and supporting the two workers charged with illegal industrial action.

• Remy said he was more angry than disappointed over Tuesday's breakdown of mediation talks between the union, mediator Dr Lenny Saith and TSTT. He said he was angry at the method of approach as even after the two meetings, they were unable to reach the most contentious point of the stalemate, namely the fate of the 72 suspended workers. "For you to be disappointed you have to expect something," Remy said.

• He said the union recognised that with Government owning 51 per cent share in TSTT, getting a fair hearing from a Government representative may not be possible. Despite that, the union called the Prime Minister's office yesterday requesting another audience with him. Remy said, the union will continue nonstop protest action until their demands are met.

• 2 more unions lend support to Chinese: Oct 20, 2009• Two of the country's largest unions have spoken out against the conditions under which some immigrant Chinese nationals are said be living and working in Trinidad

and Tobago. The National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) yesterday called for an immediate reconciliation of the issue. NUGFW president general James Lambert said the migrant workers were chosen because they are easier to exploit. "It is appalling that the workers of Trinidad and Tobago were denied jobs, all in the name of 'getting the job done faster', but at what cost? It is clear to me that these Chinese workers were brought in to work because the powers-that-be were of the view that they could have been exploited because they were not organised," he said. National Security Minister Martin Joseph said yesterday the ministry was examining a request for the cancellation of the work permits of 32 workers who have asked to return home. "Please note that a request for the cancellation of a number of work permits for several Chinese nationals is now engaging the attention of the Ministry of National Security. He said the 32 Chinese nationals are in Trinidad and Tobago legally by virtue of work permits.

• T&TEC strike • It was only last week, T&TEC workers finally settled after extended negotiations. After many threats of possible blackouts, and possible blackouts that may have been

connected to the protest action. Such strike related blackouts were denied by both the company and union officials but the negotiations just went on and on. The workers finally settled on 15 per cent. What took it so long?

• Laid-off 15 win in Industrial Court Mar 31, 2010• THE Industrial Court has ruled in favour of the Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union (BIGWU) and ordered CommNet Caribbean Ltd to pay $600,000 to 15

retrenched workers. The employees were retrenched two years ago without any provisions made for severance. The ruling was delivered on March 5, by the president of the Industrial Court Cecil Bernard. CommNet Caribbean Ltd is an information technology firm, based at Abercromby Street, Port of Spain. The Industrial Court ordered the company to pay the workers before April 9. BIGWU argued that, according to the Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act, the company should discharge its legal responsibility to make severance payments to the workers. BIGWU deputy president Mario Als represented the union in court.

• The state of the unions By Q&A on a Sunday with NAZMA MULLER• Q: How does the future look for the PSA and its members as we face the worst recession in decades? • A: Actually, this economic situation is not new, eh. If you would remember the late 1980s, as a matter of fact, the situation

was such that the Government engaged in the reduction of public officers' salaries. There were slashes, reductions, the cost of living was high and there was much turmoil in Trinidad and Tobago.

• Very often, business persons, ordinary citizens, there is this view that trade unions do not know how to sit and engage in dialogue that would bring the desired results. Here you have an ideal situation where the union has sat, Since 2003 to 2009, we have sat, we have dialogued. It is not outfoxed, it is betrayal because when you see the document that they have put out, a welcoming document—it is not only the PSA, you know, they went to the staff! "We want all of you on board, we will offer you three options, your positions in the TTRA will be created, your pensions will be protected."

• Other than marching because this government seems to have an infinite capacity to ignore public demonstrations. We are of the strong view that when all else fails, we take the ultimate action by filing legal action and leaving it up to the courts for redress.

• The march by Fitun (Federation of Independent Trade Unions) during the summit on the promenade. As a trade unionist, how did you feel when you saw the riot police arrive to stop the protest? Are you in any way disturbed that the same thing may happen when PSA's members attempt to protest?

• So in light of that, and the fact that you and the other union leaders have tremendous expertise in mediation and negotiation, why is there so much disunity between the unions? This is the time the country needs OWTU, PSA, Fitun, Natuc, everybody united and speaking with one voice.

• There is an unwritten code of ethics within the trade union movement that you would not openly poach on another union's membership. If members come to you, tell them to form a delegation and meet your president. But there is a moral responsibility for the trade union leader to contact the other leader.