Trade unions must change

PRESIDENT Paula-Mae Weekes called upon the labour movement’s leaders to, “align their goals and strategies with the economic and social realities of the present day.” In her first Labour Day message to the nation, Weekes underscored the critical importance which trade unions play in the country’s development. She reflected upon the history of the labour movement from the 1930’s to the present.

“These reflections, though critical to the development of our national ethos cannot blind us to the lasting effects of both the vagaries of the world economy and our own finite resources on our national development,” she observed. The President said, “We cannot be uncompromising in our ways of thinking if this nation is to carve a place for itself in this rapidly-changing world.”

Weekes said in the present day reality, “we cannot expect that the strategies and emphases of the 1930s can serve to mitigate the challenges of 2018.”

The President explained that reliance, “upon outdated ways of thinking does not bode well for accurate representation of the modern-day worker.”

On the contrary, Weekes said, “It risks stagnation of a movement that has played and must continue to play an integral role in the shaping of our economic and political history.” She underscored that it is the shared responsibility of every citizen, “to contribute in some way to forging an environment that is conducive to productivity and development.”