00:00It's long been a cry of the trade unions, now it's being echoed by the global body tasked
00:06with setting labour standards, the International Labour Organization.
00:11The question of who is a worker, the definition in the law of who is a worker and the reality
00:17on the ground.
00:18The definition is such that it is now precluding maybe 20, 30 and in some countries up to 40
00:24percent of the workforce.
00:26And with that preclusion from the definition of worker in the legislation is therefore
00:31an erosion of the rights of that category of workers.
00:34And this, I think, this issue of contract workers, if I would put it simply, is probably
00:38the biggest challenge.
00:40And once you are a contract worker, it means your access to social security, contributory
00:45benefits, it means your right to a fair dismissal processes are really curtailed.
00:51And these are the challenges that we are facing.
00:53The accompanying trend towards de-unionization is also of concern to the international labour
00:59body.
01:00Fundamental principles and rights at work, that workers have a right to organize.
01:06Once you are precluded from the definition of worker, it means you are precluded from
01:10the right to organize.
01:12And that makes it difficult for unions to get more members.
01:16So one of the major challenges we are facing in the world of work today is actually the
01:20declining unionization rate.
01:22It is a concerning trend globally.
01:24If I could give some figures, unionization collectively is now globally below 10%.
01:34In the public sector, it's a bit higher, but it is also declining in there because we are
01:39also seeing the rising proliferation of contract workers, even in the public service.
01:45Issues surrounding the rights of workers who are employed by foreign employers will also
01:50be addressed at the symposium.
01:52The issue of the gig economy, that you can work here in Trinidad, but actually you are
01:57performing services for a company offshore.
02:00And therefore your employer is not in your own country.
02:03Once there's a dispute, and this is one of the things they'll be discussing, between
02:07the employee in one country and actually the employer in another country, then it makes
02:12it very difficult what jurisdiction are we going to use to assist this worker to get
02:17access to justice.
02:19The ILO director was speaking at the first sub-regional symposium on labour justice,
02:25which when concluded, will see participants reach consensus on policies and procedures
02:30to ensure labour justice for all.
02:32At the end of this symposium, we are discussing how can we ensure that dispute resolution
02:39mechanisms can be available to the large majority of workers, with or without the concern about
02:45what is the definition.
02:48How can we bring justice closer to home for the majority of workers, particularly the
02:54workers that are, let's say, at the bottom of the pyramid.
02:58Also present at the symposium was the Ministry of Labour, which said it intends to reform
03:02a suite of labour legislation as it seeks to bring all our laws to international best
03:08standard.
03:09At least 13 pieces of legislation that we are looking to, that are in different stages
03:15of redrafting.
03:18One of the major ones is the Industrial Relations Act and the Occupational Safety and Health
03:23Act.
03:24The Public Services Association says among the changes it would like to see is reformation
03:30as it pertains to the definition of a worker, to include provisions for essential workers,
03:35public servants and officers, under the such categories of special workers.
03:41If they are to be prohibited from engaging in any kind of industrial action, then they
03:47must put a burden on the state to maintain their standard of living.
03:54Because it cannot be, Vanessa, that a man could sit down with a woman, could stand idly
04:01by and see that you were working for $6,000 a month and 10 years pass, your purchasing
04:10power is now, that $6,000 is worth $4,000 really.
04:15And then you are now unable to meet your bills, you are now unable to take care of your family
04:20and you have to do what, sit there and you can't do nothing to advance your interests
04:24and welfare?
04:26That makes you a slave, yes?
04:29And that could not have been the intention of the law.
04:31The PSA president estimates that contract workers make up roughly 60% of the public
04:37workforce.
04:38Vanessa Khateng, TV6 News.
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