raphael.lall@guardian.co.tt
General Secretary of the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) Michael Annisette called for unity in the trade union movement in his Labour Day address yesterday.
“The Federations coming together in the interest of the working class speaks volumes for the commitment of all the federations and all members within the leadership of the trade union movement,” he said.
“If you go to the market or you want a mortgage, no one wants to know if you work on the port to the National Union of Government and Federated Workers’ Union (NUGFW) to Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) to the Banking, General Workers’ Union (BIGWU). They ask where is your money to qualify for a mortgage loan. We are seeing a push back by business and by the political elites. This Labour Day which is situated in a pandemic must be looked at in the context of unity.”
Annisette delivered his Labour Day address vurtually as for the second year straight COVID-19 restrictions prevented the mass gatherings which usually mark Labour celebrations in Fyzabad.
Annisette also claimed that workers at state-owned Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT) are being “exploited” and he urged taxpayers must raise their voices and put an end to this practice.
“The working conditions are being stripped apart and there is no voice that talks on their behalf. Are you aware that if you stand up for your rights at TTT you are threatened with being terminated for speaking the truth? TTT is a Government owned station,” he said.
Interim Chairman of the Joint Trade Union (JTUM) women’s group, Sati Gajadhar-Iniss spoke about the impact of COVID -19 “stay at home” measures on mothers, sisters and daughters.
“They were directly affected by the closures of clothing and other retail stores, fast food outlets and casual dining restaurants. Many workers in the lower income brackets were left without jobs.
‘We must also think about comrades who still need to go to work, though they have children attending online school. They have to face the question of their children’s supervision and education,” she said
“Even daycare facilities are closed, and they are forced to rely on extended family or leave their children home alone, which could place the young ones at risk in either case. Currently, almost no thought has been placed on how to deal with these situations at the national level. No special attention or funding has been given to women who single handedly run households in either instance of losing their jobs or working through online schooling.”
Gajadhar-Iniss said the trade union community needs to rebuild the “gift economy” and support the vulnerable and insecure among in the country.
She explained that offering or receiving a meal or passing on clothes are examples of the gift economy.