Workers’ Union calls for removal of all labour reps

The National Workers’ Union (NWU) is calling for the removal of labour representatives from all government boards and committees and state enterprises. The NWU submitted this proposal for consideration to the All Union Conference of Shop Stewards and Branch Officers (COSSABO) on Saturday at the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union headquarters in San Fernando. In a statement, the NWU said: “This step would signal to the government that the joint trade union movement is serious about defeating their policy of wage suppression. “We cannot have our cake and eat it too. “We cannot be ’gouti and hound dog at the same time.”

Other proposals included the end of the state of emergency and establishment of a secretariat/war council by the joint trade union movement. The NWU said there were discussions over the relationship between the trade union movement and the government and the consensus was that the government was acting against the interests of the working class and had declared war against working people. The NWU said calls were made for trade unionists to disassociate themselves with the People’s Partnership government. “There were calls for the building of a working class party and for trade unionist associated with the government to make their position clear,” the statement said.