Work together

INDUSTRIAL Court president Deborah Thomas-Felix wants the labour movement, the business sector and government to work together on health and safety, disaster reduction and workplace harassment.

In her address for the special opening of the Industrial Court for the 2018/2019 law term, on Tuesday, Thomas-Felix said through tripartism, unions and employers lend their voices to manage competing demands in labour-management relations and find common ground for advancing national development goals.

She, however, accepted that ultimately it is the decision of government to accept and implement recommendations of social partners, adding that “ the importance of the coming together of the minds of the three partners, cannot be overstated.”

Pointing to recent hurricanes and earthquakes locally and in the region, Thomas-Felix said these have heightened the awareness of the need for cooperation, and coherent policies.

“Whether hazards result from natural events or human action, they can have implications for: occupational safety and health; skills to deal with the different aspects of disaster risk reduction and management; the continuity of business operations and the safety of communities. Tripartite cooperation and coherence are therefore critical to addressing hazards in different spheres given their significance for the country’s efforts to achieve sustainable development.”

She called for disaster risk reduction and occupational safety and health issues to be given priority.

Lauding the establishment of the National Tripartite Advisory Council (NTAC) in March 2016, she called on the body to begin discussions on OSH and disaster risk management.

“These issues are of relevance to national development and therefore social dialogue on the topic can only redound to an integrated response.

“Disaster risk reduction, OSH, labour migration and harassment in the workplace add to the complex challenges affecting the industrial relations climate in Trinidad and Tobago today. These challenges, in my view, can only be properly addressed when the social partners come together and work together.”

Thomas-Felix advocated NTAC to also begin dialogue on migrant labour and harassment in the workplace.

“The issue of labour migration and migrant workers is a very topical issue that affects us all. Tripartism will be a very useful way to approach this issue in its different dimensions.

“It is critical that we do so within the framework of well-crafted policies and creative mechanisms that will allow all social partners - labour, business and government - to contribute and benefit from this phenomenon.”

She also urged using the #metoo movement to continue discussions on sexual harassment of women and men, at work and the wider community.

“The National Tripartite Advisory Council is well-positioned to lend its collective voice and expertise to this debate. I urge you the stakeholders, to seize this opportunity and to build on the current momentum such that we create workplaces and workspaces in all spheres that are safe for everyone.”

Secretary general of the Communications Workers Union, Clyde Elder said the call for NTAC to advance the tripartite approach, fell squarely on the Government.

He was of the opinion that the Government had no respect for its own institution, as he pointed to the Petrotrin issue.

“The very body that set it up is violating the very tenants of NTAC. I think that it is unfortunate. I think that the president is actually speaking loudly to the Government and I hope they are sitting up and listening.