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  • 1 year ago
The Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union is set to appear before the Industrial Court next week for a pre-trial hearing.


This was revealed during a news conference the Labour Movement held on Friday, where a view was expressed that the Industrial Court is being weaponised. Trade Unions are planning to mobilise in the coming week.


Alicia Boucher has the details.
Transcript
00:00The Seamen and Waterfront Workers' Trade Union and the Port Authority of TNT
00:04are set to appear before the Industrial Court on Monday, November 25th at 9.30 a.m.
00:10As WWTU President Michael Anisat says, he received a correspondence on ZAT on Friday morning.
00:16For a pre-trial hearing and for the purpose of expressing your views
00:22as to the periods which are reasonably necessary
00:27for the fair and adequate presentation of your case.
00:31That case surrounds the complaint for which an injunction was filed by the Port Authority on November 19
00:37and granted by the court against the SWWTU.
00:41Anisat says they will go to court as they have nothing to fear.
00:45He accuses the government of overstepping, citing the National Insurance Board,
00:49which was supposed to implement a 9% wage increase registered at the Industrial Court.
00:55The Minister of Finance writes the board and tells them,
00:58do not pay the workers their wages that they sat down, agree and register.
01:05Anisat believes it is similar to what is occurring with a memorandum of agreement
01:10the PATT and SWWTU signed for a 12% wage increase for Port of Spain dock workers
01:17alongside a framework which he says was intended to make the port sustainable.
01:22Leader of the Joint Trade Union movement Ansel Roger is of the view
01:26that a government has failed in its job to secure better conditions for the majority in the country.
01:32He says many people have lost their jobs and others continue to operate under poor working conditions.
01:38What do we have? We have them weaponizing the court,
01:42using the Industrial Court as a weapon against workers, against terms and conditions.
01:48Roger says injunctions are being used to silence workers,
01:52citing the legal action taken against teachers in 2022 and TNTEC workers in October of this year.
02:00To stop those workers from protesting, that's their approach, that's the government's approach.
02:05And make no mistake about it, all of these management that carry out these actions,
02:10they are well supported by the government.
02:13So when you see the management acting in a particular way,
02:17it is not just the management. We will be fools to believe it is just the management, it is the government.
02:23The labor movement calls for unity and action is being planned for next week after working hours.
02:29It's going to start next week, Tuesday, at the port,
02:34where the port workers will be joined by the TNTEC workers and the postal workers.
02:42There will be a candlelight vigil from the port going straight across the TNTEC head office.
02:53Yes, that will be the start.
02:58So when those candles, we are not sure how long those candles will light,
03:05how long they will remain lighting, but when those candles eventually go out,
03:10the whole place will be without candles.
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