00:00On the day on the horizon, Vice President of the Oilfield Workers' Trade Union, Ernesto
00:04Kezar, was on TV6's Morning Edition program today, where he spoke about the issues faced
00:09by trade unions in recent times.
00:21One of the major issues that is facing Trinidad and Tobago right now is the reversing of gains
00:29that has been won by the labor movement from 1937 to now, that continues to be whittled
00:36away and taken away in some cases by legislation from the current administration.
00:43In addition to that, you have the PSA winning a major battle quite recently against this
00:534%.
00:54You have the Privy Council echoing through the EPA's recent judgment that what seems
00:59to be a clear bias taking place in the industrial court.
01:03You have also this issue of the ongoing battle with the Revenue Authority trying to be foisted
01:07on the public.
01:09And then you have the issue here of the government not coming up with creative ways to increase
01:15foreign exchange and to increase sustainable employment, but pursuing on an agenda to tax
01:22their way out.
01:24Kezar also gave his thoughts on claims made by Dr. Jerome T. Laksing over the weekend
01:28is that some trade unions have gone soft.
01:32I am glad that now people are understanding that the issue of what you have so-called
01:38is not radical action, brother Marlon.
01:41It's not radical.
01:42It is action that come at Butler, come at George Weeks, and even come at McLeod and
01:47now come at Roger, actions that was necessary to protect what we, what our forefathers would
01:55have gained.
01:56Let us remind the public on this Labor Day that had it not been for the labor movement,
02:01we would not have had adult franchise.
02:03We would not have had independence.
02:06We would not have been a republic.
02:08We would not have had labor laws, notwithstanding that they are wanting and outdated.
02:15It is the labor movement that sets standards for employment.
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