Labour Minister Errol McLeod told workers on Saturday they could expect "sweeping changes" to the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP).Speaking at Labour Day celebrations in Fyzabad the minister said the change could include URP workers getting into food production for the nation.
He said, "I propose after collaboration with my colleague, the Minister of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs, and subject to the approval of Cabinet, to develop a new programme patterned after the Ministry’s Commonwealth Caribbean Seasonal program, to use people from here to develop food for Trinidad and Tobago."
He added that his ministry has developed a legislative agenda for the financial year 2010- 2011.
"In a matter of days, we will be submitting proposals to Cabinet for an amendment of Section 9 of the Maternity Protection Act No 4 of 1998, to increase the duration of maternity leave in keeping with international labour standards...
"We have agreed in principle that the leave will move almost immediately to 14 weeks, and this will apply across the board, across collective agreements, across the society of Trinidad and Tobago," he said.
McLeod also said the Ministry will propose changes to the Industrial Relations Act with respect to decertification of trade unions, noting that the existing law does not give the union the right to take an employer to the minister.
He said the law now "allows for the employer to make representation...to decertify a trade union...but the law does not allow the union to make representation to the Minister for injunctive measures to an employer acting in violation of the provisions of the act."
He said the Ministry will conduct a comprehensive review of the Industrial Relations Act which could be completed in about three months.
Mc Leod also announced changes to other pieces of labour legislation and confirmed that the Cipriani Labour College will no longer be associated with the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).
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