Quality Assurance Officer/Adjunct Research Fellow, CCLCS
Trade unions have long been the bedrock of workers’ rights in Trinidad and Tobago. Historically, they’ve played a critical role in shaping labour laws, advocating for better wages, and protecting the rights of the working class. From the fiery leadership of Uriah Butler in the 1930s to the present-day debates over public sector reform, unions have stood as a powerful voice for the voiceless.
Sitting in the recently concluded Caribbean Workers’ Forum held at Cipriani College, a question was asked, which prompted me to question the relevance of trade unions in today’s economy.
In a fast-paced, digitised, and globalised world, the question arises, “Are trade unions still relevant in 21st-century T&T?”
I’ve decided the short answer is yes, unions are still relevant. However, their role and methods must evolve to keep pace with changing labour dynamics. In an era of freelance work, automation, and economic instability, workers still face uncertainty, just in new forms. Contract workers lack benefits, digital freelancers have no job security, and many employees face stagnating wages while the cost-of-living rises.
Trade unions are still vital to ensuring fair treatment, equitable pay, and job security in both the public and private sectors.
However, traditional union tactics such as strike threats and adversarial negotiations are often out of step with modern organisational needs.
Today’s workforce values collaboration, innovation and flexibility. Unions must, therefore, redefine their role, not as combative institutions, but as partners in progress, helping workers and employers navigate a rapidly evolving labour market.
Younger generations of workers are increasingly disengaged from trade unionism. Many see unions as outdated, overly political, or resistant to change.
Many millennials and Gen Z professionals, who are a growing share of the workforce, seek flexibility, autonomy, and purpose-driven work rather than rigid structures and adversarial negotiations. For unions to regain relevance, they must engage younger workers in ways that reflect contemporary workplace values. This means championing causes like remote work protections, digital skills training, mental health support, and inclusive workplace policies.
These are the issues that resonate with today’s professionals, and the unions that ignore them risk fading into irrelevance. Too often, trade unions are seen primarily as agents of protest and disruption. Industrial action has its place, but in a modern economy, unions must also be seen as partners in productivity and innovation.
The workplace of the future is digital, data-driven, and dynamic. Trade unions must be at the forefront of preparing workers for this shift. Unions should be at the table advocating for strategic workforce development, negotiating not only salaries, but also reskilling initiatives, ethical use of AI, and fair conditions for freelance and contract workers. With national productivity stagnant and private sector competitiveness under pressure, collaboration, not confrontation, must be the new modus operandi.
Imagine a union that advocates not just for a better salary, but for every employee to receive AI literacy training. Or one that negotiates contracts with built-in protections for remote and freelance workers. That is the kind of forward-thinking representation needed today.
Moreover, the politicisation of some unions has, at times, compromised their credibility. Public trust in unions suffers when they appear too closely aligned with political parties, or when internal leadership lacks transparency.
To rebuild credibility, unions must uphold democratic values, political neutrality, and financial accountability.
They must also communicate more effectively with their members, not just at contract time, consistently and clearly, using the very digital tools that younger workers use every day.
Beyond the workplace, trade unions can still play a vital role in promoting equity, social justice and national development. Whether it’s pushing for gender equity in leadership, advocating for a living wage, or defending the rights of migrant workers, trade unions have the capacity to influence national conversations and champion broader societal change that goes far beyond the factory or office, if they expand their vision. Trade unions in T&T are not relics of the past. But to remain relevant in the 21st century, they must adapt to the changing world of work. That means embracing innovation, engaging younger workers, partnering with employers, and aligning their advocacy with the future, not just the past.
The country still needs strong worker representation, but we need smart, strategic, and modern unions that speak to today’s realities while protecting tomorrow’s opportunities.
