00:00Labor, Small and Microenterprise Development Minister Leroy Batiste delivered his maiden address at the International Labor Conference since joining the Cabinet last month on May 3rd.
00:12The ILC is being hosted by the International Labor Organization, the ILO, in Geneva, Switzerland.
00:19As he brought greetings from the government of Trinidad and Tobago being led by Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissessor,
00:25Minister Batiste highlighted some of the priorities in what he identified as the government's official policy for the workers' agenda.
00:34The government, we, will aim to create a living wage and ensure that all workers earn sufficient salaries to support themselves and their families comfortably.
00:47In the video of his speech provided by the Labour Ministry, the Labour Minister then spoke about the government's focus on local labour laws as well as one aspect of the state enterprise sector in Trinidad and Tobago.
01:00We will seek to review and modernise the country's Industrial Relations Act and all labour legislation.
01:09We will seek to facilitate the recognition of unions that have applied for recognition status at state companies based on tripartite arrangements and expert advice from the ILO.
01:23Minister Batiste, a former union leader who was once president of the Public Services Association, also made reference to a committee that is meant to help the government on issues such as the minimum wage.
01:35And we will aim to re-establish and revitalise the national tripartite body in order to improve our dialogue with labour bodies.
01:46Guided by international standards and national development goals, the government of Trinidad and Tobago continues to ensure that the country is not left behind in a rapidly changing world of work.
01:58The Labour Minister also made mention of the most recent report of the ILO.
02:02I wish to endorse the suggestion made by the Director-General, who emphasises the role of democratic values and democratic institutions in forging the jobs-right growth nexus.
02:17To this end, we must establish strong institutional frameworks and pursue enhanced coordination and collaboration among relevant stakeholders.
02:28Minister Batiste said, quote, democracy after all is alive and well when people are engaged in a process in which they have a voice, end quote.
02:38Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
