UNIONS ON THE DECLINE

CCNTV6

UWI St Augustine Campus Principal Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, says the trade unions movement seem to be on the decline locally.  Speaking at a recognition ceremony hosted by UWI’s trade union WIGUT, she encouraged workers to participate more and stand up for their worth as she believes a “decline of solidarity” and a “dangerous trend of individualism” are to blame.  Reporter Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh tells us more.

Transcript

00:00Following weeks of protests earlier this year,

00:03UWE St. Augustine lecturers were able to negotiate with the former government

00:07for a 6% salary increase through their union,

00:11the West Indies group of university teachers Trinidad and Tobago.

00:15Professor Rosemary Bellantwine, campus principal of the UWE St. Augustine,

00:20says the fight wasn't an easy one.

00:22Only a few will turn up in the hot sun to the protests and so on,

00:27and it would have made my job a lot easier

00:31had we had more interest in terms of workers standing up for their own interests.

00:43It would have made it a lot easier,

00:45especially since we were facing, as you know,

00:48a de facto national wage freeze, really and truly,

00:52and a somewhat hostile administration in terms of those issues

00:57She says, led by Wigert President Dr. Indira Rampasad,

01:01workers then had to deal with the last government's position

01:04that their back pay and increases could not be funded.

01:08Professor Antwine says while Wigert did its job,

01:11unions in general seemed to be on the decline,

01:14and so too the support of workers.

01:16These backward ideas come from taking workers for granted

01:22and taking UWE for granted,

01:25and for us not standing up enough for our worth.

01:29And I know Indira shares these views because she's complained a lot

01:32that just a few do the hard work and then everybody gets the spoils.

01:37She believes workers were in a better place decades ago.

01:41I think it's a symptom of a much larger malaise in society,

01:48the decline of solidarity and standing for principle

01:51and the emergence of self-interest, individualism,

01:56a very dangerous trend, and increasing inequities in the world.

02:00As far as I'm concerned, we were much better off 20 years ago as workers.

02:05Delivering an address on behalf of Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissessa

02:09at the event, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Daryl Allaha

02:13says Wigert was the first to receive back pay under the current government.

02:18Justice, dignity and respect for workers are non-negotiable.

02:25Workers matter, their dignity matters,

02:28and their contribution matters.

02:31And when workers rise, the entire nation increases with them.

02:35Cindy Raghubatika Singh, TV6 News.

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