Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Voice of business<br />
the voice of business on. . .<br />
Labour relations<br />
What is your view of the current labour relations climate<br />
in Trinidad & Tobago? How can it be improved?<br />
The current labour relations climate is a challenging one. We are still<br />
seeing a lot of issues where trade unions are difficult to work with. In a<br />
stagnating economy such as ours, it is an especially difficult time for labour,<br />
and unfortunately unions still deem the employer an aggressor, which creates<br />
an increasingly volatile situation.<br />
Reyaz Ahamad<br />
President, Trinidad & Tobago Chamber<br />
of Industry & Commerce;<br />
Executive Director, Southern Sales<br />
and Service Company Limited<br />
For years the Chamber has advocated<br />
for a balanced judicial composition<br />
of public and private sector<br />
representation in the IR court<br />
Recent examples, such as the restructuring exercises at Petrotrin and TSTT,<br />
demonstrate the need for a more conversational approach to industrial relations,<br />
where the employee and the employer work together to resolve matters. The<br />
world of work is changing, and nearly every sector in Trinidad and Tobago<br />
has evolved and modernised. We need a more robust industrial relations<br />
environment in keeping with this.<br />
The climate can improve if workers and employers have more discussion<br />
on how to move forward. Too often, stakeholders perceive that the employer is<br />
being unfair, but we need to examine the entire industry that we are operating<br />
in and consider what is reasonable and unreasonable.<br />
There is too much of a strong divide, so I hope to see the aggressive approach<br />
of the labour unions change, and the industrial court embrace a more holistic<br />
approach as we move forward.<br />
We are also working with an Industrial Relations Act that is over 46 years<br />
old. This needs to be overhauled to align with global best practice. For years the<br />
Chamber has advocated for a balanced judicial composition of public and private<br />
sector representation in the IR court, so we welcome the recent appointment of<br />
new judges, and look forward to seeing how the climate will continue to evolve<br />
in Trinidad and Tobago.<br />
We are also working with an Industrial<br />
Relations Act that is over 46 years old.<br />
This needs to be overhauled to align<br />
with global best practice.<br />
22 JUNE 2019 chamber.org.tt
Change language