Two opposition Member of Parliament and one of Trinidad and Tobago's most powerful trade uions are demanding that government intervention to stop two state-owned organizations from trying to decertify the trade unions representing their workers.
Oropouche East MP Roodal Moonilal and Senator Wade Mark, both of whom have union roots, told reporters Sunday it's time for citizens to demand action from the government.
They were commenting on attempts by the state telecommunications company, TSTT, and the public transport corporation, PTSC, to decertify and revoke the recognition of the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) and the Transport and Industrial Workers' Union (TIWU).
TSTT workers, represented by CWU, are engaged in protest action because of delays in concluding a new collective agreement.
The 13 PTSC has dismissed 13 workers for protesting at its main terminal at the City Gate facility in Port of Spain.
Both politicians called for the immediate reinstatement of the affected workers. Mark went further and called on citizens, trade unionists, churches, non-governmental organisations and political parties to unite to urgently remove the "anti-worker" Government.
Moonilal saw the situation as creating an opportunity for a united political movement against the government. Both Mark and Moonilal are members of the United National Congress (UNC), which is split in two factions.
Mark, who is a UNC deputy leader, and Moonilal support the Panday group which is backed by the majority of elected MPs and senators. Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner, who is also a UNC deputy leader, leads the sop-called RAMJACK group, which comprises two other MPs - Ramesh L. Maharaj and Winston "Gypsy" Peters.
Moonilal said the first priority for a united group must be to "force those state companies to withdraw that application before the court."
Moonilal, who is a former labour minister and is an industrial relations specialist, said the Industrial Relations Act allows Labour Minister Rennie Dumas to intervene and resolve the matter. He said no one has to even ask the minister to act on behalf of the trade unions.
Moonilal observed that although there are substantive issues before "the Ministry of Labour and/or Industrial Court, so that no Industrial Relations Offence have been proven, so that both PTSC and TSTT are acting prematurely."
The president general of the powerful Oilfied Workers Trade Union (OWTU) also expressed concern Sunday about the situation.
In a media statement, Ancel Roget warned that "recent attempts to trample the labour movement will be met with strong acts of resistance".
He said what is happening at both organizations shows that the government is trampling workers' rights. And he called on TSTT to immediately withdraw the industrial relations matter and the application before the court to decertify CWU as the majority recognised union.
Roget also called for workers dismissed by the state water authority, WASA, and the two others organisations - PTSC and TSTT - to be unconditionally reinstated.
"For a long time OWTU has been warning the country about the anti-worker, anti-people stands of this government," Roget said. "It started with WASA workers, then TSTT workers and now more recently PTSC workers," he added.
"The Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union will not allow this trend to continue as workers exercising their constitutional rights to protest and to demand better terms and conditions of work in order to fulfil a decent standard of living," the union boss declared adding that "such attacks against labour are attacks against the democracy of a country."
He called for urgent action: "The Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union is prepared to swiftly match these frontal attacks with defiance and the full resolve of all workers whose rights must be defended at all cost and by all necessary means."
Oropouche East MP Roodal Moonilal and Senator Wade Mark, both of whom have union roots, told reporters Sunday it's time for citizens to demand action from the government.
They were commenting on attempts by the state telecommunications company, TSTT, and the public transport corporation, PTSC, to decertify and revoke the recognition of the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) and the Transport and Industrial Workers' Union (TIWU).
TSTT workers, represented by CWU, are engaged in protest action because of delays in concluding a new collective agreement.
The 13 PTSC has dismissed 13 workers for protesting at its main terminal at the City Gate facility in Port of Spain.
Both politicians called for the immediate reinstatement of the affected workers. Mark went further and called on citizens, trade unionists, churches, non-governmental organisations and political parties to unite to urgently remove the "anti-worker" Government.
Moonilal saw the situation as creating an opportunity for a united political movement against the government. Both Mark and Moonilal are members of the United National Congress (UNC), which is split in two factions.
Mark, who is a UNC deputy leader, and Moonilal support the Panday group which is backed by the majority of elected MPs and senators. Chaguanas West MP Jack Warner, who is also a UNC deputy leader, leads the sop-called RAMJACK group, which comprises two other MPs - Ramesh L. Maharaj and Winston "Gypsy" Peters.
Moonilal said the first priority for a united group must be to "force those state companies to withdraw that application before the court."
Moonilal, who is a former labour minister and is an industrial relations specialist, said the Industrial Relations Act allows Labour Minister Rennie Dumas to intervene and resolve the matter. He said no one has to even ask the minister to act on behalf of the trade unions.
Moonilal observed that although there are substantive issues before "the Ministry of Labour and/or Industrial Court, so that no Industrial Relations Offence have been proven, so that both PTSC and TSTT are acting prematurely."
The president general of the powerful Oilfied Workers Trade Union (OWTU) also expressed concern Sunday about the situation.
In a media statement, Ancel Roget warned that "recent attempts to trample the labour movement will be met with strong acts of resistance".
He said what is happening at both organizations shows that the government is trampling workers' rights. And he called on TSTT to immediately withdraw the industrial relations matter and the application before the court to decertify CWU as the majority recognised union.
Roget also called for workers dismissed by the state water authority, WASA, and the two others organisations - PTSC and TSTT - to be unconditionally reinstated.
"For a long time OWTU has been warning the country about the anti-worker, anti-people stands of this government," Roget said. "It started with WASA workers, then TSTT workers and now more recently PTSC workers," he added.
"The Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union will not allow this trend to continue as workers exercising their constitutional rights to protest and to demand better terms and conditions of work in order to fulfil a decent standard of living," the union boss declared adding that "such attacks against labour are attacks against the democracy of a country."
He called for urgent action: "The Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union is prepared to swiftly match these frontal attacks with defiance and the full resolve of all workers whose rights must be defended at all cost and by all necessary means."
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